I didn't do any homework.
I didn't write any more of my story.
I simply made it through the week. Still working on removing stress.
Today, I was told that I have made significant changes. I need to realize these. I don't give myself credit. I need to focus on all I have accomplished. I have embraced my story, and told it in the 1st person (which most people can't and won't do)...
I will try to do more story writing this week. But my heart, at the moment, is not in it.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Friday, September 27, 2013
LifePlan Nuggets
It's been a month since LifePlan Coaching with Chris LoCurto. As I have absorbed the intense two days and reviewed my notes, I have made a list of nuggets, as I do with all forms of extensive training. I know I need a mentor and I pray that God has someone who will be just the right person for me on this part of my journey.
List of Nuggets from LifePlan Coaching:
- Unbeknown to me, I really wasn't accepting my childhood and past.
- The feeling I could have done something to change the results of my childhood and past has been permeating my life.
- I have been living with fear I didn't think I had.
- I have had deep fear that the life I had before is somehow going to be repeated.
- The degree at which I feel I am not good enough is tremendous.
- The stress I learned to live with in my childhood is an expectation that I feel I must do and keep up now because it was the norm.
- How the gas pedal and brake concepts affect my life significantly, and the focus needs to be kept at monitoring them.
- The level of abuse in my life was more significant, a major impact, and very prevalent, much more than I have given it credit.
- I have spent 35 years in a toxic belief system and being controlled.
- Never having been encouraged, told what I did was good, and spending years being punished, I continue to live out those same feelings in everything. I have lived with feelings of being displeasing and being a disappointment my entire life. I now think everyone feels the same way about me.
- I have carried over these same concepts to my relationship with God.
The areas I feel that have come to light that need to be spent more time reflecting on are:
- How do I change and feel and see God in my past? Yes, I know in my mind he was there. How do I go back and feel he was apart of those details (in my heart) like I do in my journey today when I didn't feel or see him then?
- What am I actively doing to live My Life Purpose?
- How do aggressively change the "Not Good Enough" mentality to rid it out of my mode of operating?
God has used Chris greatly in my life. I feel I have barely got a grasp on my nuggets let alone its impact in my life. I pray that I can let the concepts work deep down into my feet and become the gal God wants me to be. He is amazing at how he works and I truly stand in awe.
Thank You big brother Chris!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Unstoppable
Good overcomes evil! Life overcomes death! Faith overcomes doubt! Light overcomes darkness! Love overcomes hate!
- Unstoppable, the movie
- Unstoppable, the movie
Monday, September 23, 2013
[really] disappointing news
Remember me telling you that I won tickets from my coach, Chris LoCurto to an event coming up in a little over two weeks that he was going to be speaking at?
Remember that I was one excited happy chic??? Yah, I was ONE HAPPY CHIC!!!
Why? I was going to get to hear Seth Godin speak (until a week ago when he was removed from the lineup). I was going to get to hear Chris LoCurto speak. I was going to get to hear Deanna Robinson speak. There were 27 other speakers set up to speak!!! I know Seth and Chris, I have never met Deanna...I stumbled across her on Facebook and liked her business page, she sent me a personal friend request when she learned I was an EntreLeadership Alumni attendee...just two weeks before winning this ticket from Chris. Accident? No, that's not how my God works.
Well, today I got to be one frustrated, discourage, upset and disappointed chic. For reals. I got notified via email that the EWRoadtrip 2013 Event got canceled. I had already been proactive and booked my airline ticket, two extra hotel nights (to make traveling accommodations better for me since the event went until 5pm the last day and to not fly home on Sunday, one of the most costly travel days in my search), along with a rental car. Due to being the Miss Penny Pincher that I am, I had purchased non refundable, non transferable, non changeable stuff. Yah, but it still was a lot of money!!! $716.88 to be exact. The email offered a $100 Visa Card as a voucher or to attend the event in 2014. Hmmmmmmm...lose $616.88??? Not exactly a comforting thought.
It's just money?
No, it's not just money. It's hard earned money, and I was going to be taking 6 days off work for this Business Conference, just 6 weeks after being gone to Franklin, TN for 10 days. You think this wasn't a decision made with no impact on my clients? It had great impact. I felt it was something I should do. I felt God wanted me to go. I felt it wasn't an accident that I got a free ticket.
But now it got canceled...so what does that mean now God?
I don't know. He does. I don't. But I also know I don't have to. I just have to simply trust His plan.
I posted my situation on Facebook. I then launched into and spent 3 hours pursuing options with Priceline...Expedia...emails to my coach...phone calls to EWRoadtrip...
Deanna sent me a private message that read:
"Please don't despair, there are a lot of us in your situation. If you'd like to talk, please reach out." and she included her phone number.
I wrote her back:
"Oh Deanna...you are so kind! I just don't understand God's plan in this...I won a ticket from Chris LoCurto and was one excited chic!!! Now, its just so disappointing. I will call."
I did just that. I called her.
Would the "old Misty" have done this? No. What makes you think some chic I have never met would have any "worthy input" for me? I mean, she probably isn't a Christian for crying out loud. And she doesn't believe like "us".
That mentality is LONG GONE! God has blown me away the last few years with the people he has brought into my path and on my journey. I no longer look at life the way I used to. Or people.
We talked 62 minutes and 33 seconds...but could have visited all night!!! I shared with her my frustrations. The feelings of excitement to have won a ticket and now to have the conference called off. How I do not understanding God's plan in all this. She believes crap happens and that this isn't necessary God's doing. [Though that might be true...I am not sold on that topic. It's something I am still studying out and will blog about more later, though I have some already.] She shared her frustrations with this event and things she did anyways instead of listening to that still small voice inside of her that told her to back out. She is having to learn hard lessons; she is getting zero back from this event. She encouraged me if I am going to be offered any funds, to take what I can get, unless I want to make the trip, but encouraged me not to feel pressured into doing so. This deal did not have to be canceled. [Wow. Not the message I received from the host of the event.] She referred excellent people to be speakers to this event, and now with the way things have turned out, feels like egg is on her face. She shared short nuggets of her story with me, told me that she has even written Bible Studies, and encouraged me to Praise God in it! She nudged me with a reminder, from sharing part of her story, to have the attitude she has developed through the things she has faced: "I get to..." not the negative things we think when things happen. She told me about an event in January 2014 that she would highly recommend I go to for what I was looking for in this event.
A mistake all this is happening? You think so? So what's the chance of her seeing my post at the time she did? Freak incident? Really?
Nope, not with my God! He is in all the details. Promise!!!
Remember that I was one excited happy chic??? Yah, I was ONE HAPPY CHIC!!!
Why? I was going to get to hear Seth Godin speak (until a week ago when he was removed from the lineup). I was going to get to hear Chris LoCurto speak. I was going to get to hear Deanna Robinson speak. There were 27 other speakers set up to speak!!! I know Seth and Chris, I have never met Deanna...I stumbled across her on Facebook and liked her business page, she sent me a personal friend request when she learned I was an EntreLeadership Alumni attendee...just two weeks before winning this ticket from Chris. Accident? No, that's not how my God works.
Well, today I got to be one frustrated, discourage, upset and disappointed chic. For reals. I got notified via email that the EWRoadtrip 2013 Event got canceled. I had already been proactive and booked my airline ticket, two extra hotel nights (to make traveling accommodations better for me since the event went until 5pm the last day and to not fly home on Sunday, one of the most costly travel days in my search), along with a rental car. Due to being the Miss Penny Pincher that I am, I had purchased non refundable, non transferable, non changeable stuff. Yah, but it still was a lot of money!!! $716.88 to be exact. The email offered a $100 Visa Card as a voucher or to attend the event in 2014. Hmmmmmmm...lose $616.88??? Not exactly a comforting thought.
It's just money?
No, it's not just money. It's hard earned money, and I was going to be taking 6 days off work for this Business Conference, just 6 weeks after being gone to Franklin, TN for 10 days. You think this wasn't a decision made with no impact on my clients? It had great impact. I felt it was something I should do. I felt God wanted me to go. I felt it wasn't an accident that I got a free ticket.
But now it got canceled...so what does that mean now God?
I don't know. He does. I don't. But I also know I don't have to. I just have to simply trust His plan.
I posted my situation on Facebook. I then launched into and spent 3 hours pursuing options with Priceline...Expedia...emails to my coach...phone calls to EWRoadtrip...
Deanna sent me a private message that read:
"Please don't despair, there are a lot of us in your situation. If you'd like to talk, please reach out." and she included her phone number.
I wrote her back:
"Oh Deanna...you are so kind! I just don't understand God's plan in this...I won a ticket from Chris LoCurto and was one excited chic!!! Now, its just so disappointing. I will call."
I did just that. I called her.
Would the "old Misty" have done this? No. What makes you think some chic I have never met would have any "worthy input" for me? I mean, she probably isn't a Christian for crying out loud. And she doesn't believe like "us".
That mentality is LONG GONE! God has blown me away the last few years with the people he has brought into my path and on my journey. I no longer look at life the way I used to. Or people.
We talked 62 minutes and 33 seconds...but could have visited all night!!! I shared with her my frustrations. The feelings of excitement to have won a ticket and now to have the conference called off. How I do not understanding God's plan in all this. She believes crap happens and that this isn't necessary God's doing. [Though that might be true...I am not sold on that topic. It's something I am still studying out and will blog about more later, though I have some already.] She shared her frustrations with this event and things she did anyways instead of listening to that still small voice inside of her that told her to back out. She is having to learn hard lessons; she is getting zero back from this event. She encouraged me if I am going to be offered any funds, to take what I can get, unless I want to make the trip, but encouraged me not to feel pressured into doing so. This deal did not have to be canceled. [Wow. Not the message I received from the host of the event.] She referred excellent people to be speakers to this event, and now with the way things have turned out, feels like egg is on her face. She shared short nuggets of her story with me, told me that she has even written Bible Studies, and encouraged me to Praise God in it! She nudged me with a reminder, from sharing part of her story, to have the attitude she has developed through the things she has faced: "I get to..." not the negative things we think when things happen. She told me about an event in January 2014 that she would highly recommend I go to for what I was looking for in this event.
A mistake all this is happening? You think so? So what's the chance of her seeing my post at the time she did? Freak incident? Really?
Nope, not with my God! He is in all the details. Promise!!!
Counseling Session #15
I am not getting anywhere.
I have no motivation to move to the next part of my story. And I can't figure out why.
Today I was reminded to:
I have no motivation to move to the next part of my story. And I can't figure out why.
Today I was reminded to:
- write down thoughts
- work through feelings
- look back and connect the emotions and realize it doesn't have influence in your life
We discussed the stresses in my life. We discussed the need to balance the stress with Healthy Coping to rejuvenate and refresh me:
boundaries ~ enforce them, don't feel the need to get involved, to protect yourself, be intentional about your nutrition, take time to sleep, take care of you physically, decompress, knit for 15 min each day along with brain candy reading
balance ~ stick to deadlines, create stopping points, set time with girlfriends, put what can be on the back burner
Focus On:
- Stressors and Self Care!
- Choose not to stress about it...
- God commands us to REST
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
story: Gods Love
Each of us have a story.
Some of us live with the story deep inside of us, not willing to share it. Some of us feel our story doesn't matter. Some of us don't know we have a story. Some of us have more painful ones than others. Some of us don't feel our story has power...or will be a blessing.
Some of us are willing to share our stories, with everyone, everywhere. Today, I share a story from someone who has one of those stories.
I met Tim Love, back in June, through one of the networking Facebook forums I participate in, when he posted a request out that if anyone wanted to donate AC units, he would meet them to get them and then install them for people in need. I made an appointment to meet him at Home Depot and it was there that he shared part of his story with me as we stood comparing products. I came away blessed by his testimony, thankful to have met a brother in Christ, unashamed of who he is, and encouraged by his love for God. I wrote a post about this called do you believe with God ALL things are possible? because the message on his truck meant something to me.
Tim shared this video called Gods Love, this last week on his Facebook wall, with this as the caption: "My trash, Gods Love, Jesus Hand. I am Second!"
As I am working through My Story and all the feelings that come from My Story, I realized it doesn't take that much time to share your story. Tim's testimony is only 2:35 minutes long. Yet, it has the full message, is very simple and conveys a clear message. The message of Gods Love.
I wanted to share it with my blogging friends. Be blessed by Tim Love's Story!
Some of us live with the story deep inside of us, not willing to share it. Some of us feel our story doesn't matter. Some of us don't know we have a story. Some of us have more painful ones than others. Some of us don't feel our story has power...or will be a blessing.
Some of us are willing to share our stories, with everyone, everywhere. Today, I share a story from someone who has one of those stories.
I met Tim Love, back in June, through one of the networking Facebook forums I participate in, when he posted a request out that if anyone wanted to donate AC units, he would meet them to get them and then install them for people in need. I made an appointment to meet him at Home Depot and it was there that he shared part of his story with me as we stood comparing products. I came away blessed by his testimony, thankful to have met a brother in Christ, unashamed of who he is, and encouraged by his love for God. I wrote a post about this called do you believe with God ALL things are possible? because the message on his truck meant something to me.
Tim shared this video called Gods Love, this last week on his Facebook wall, with this as the caption: "My trash, Gods Love, Jesus Hand. I am Second!"
As I am working through My Story and all the feelings that come from My Story, I realized it doesn't take that much time to share your story. Tim's testimony is only 2:35 minutes long. Yet, it has the full message, is very simple and conveys a clear message. The message of Gods Love.
I wanted to share it with my blogging friends. Be blessed by Tim Love's Story!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
bible study: Confident Heart
I shared with you yesterday that God is giving me daily reminders about a lesson He wants me to learn. You might have thought I was joking, but I am not. The message have been in various ways and forms. I wish I had posted Sunday's and Monday's and Tuesday's. I have tried to find them, maybe they will show up again, but I didn't realize how they were going to continue daily.
Here is today's message via email. Could the header have been any bolder? Any more pointed right at me?
The interesting thing is, besides that burning question at the top of the email, I have been looking for another Bible Study to do because I felt I need it. This one is perfect because it is online which means I can do it in my travels and crazy schedule right now...in between work and sleep...and it's on a topic that God knows I need.
Join me if you want!
Here is today's message via email. Could the header have been any bolder? Any more pointed right at me?
The interesting thing is, besides that burning question at the top of the email, I have been looking for another Bible Study to do because I felt I need it. This one is perfect because it is online which means I can do it in my travels and crazy schedule right now...in between work and sleep...and it's on a topic that God knows I need.
Join me if you want!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
you.are.good.enough
 |
| you are good enough |
An accident?
Nope.
God is making sure I get these memo's, daily right now. He is reinforcing His message to me pretty loudly. I have seen some sort of message along this line each day in some sort of way since Saturday's conference.
Overwhelming? Yes. It is.
song ~ all of me
All of Me
Matt Hammitt
Afraid to love
Something that could break
Could I move on
If you were torn away?
And I'm so close to what I can't control
I can't give you half my heart
And pray He makes you whole
Chorus
You're gonna have all of me
You're gonna have all of me
'Cause you're worth every falling tear
You're worth facing any fear
You're gonna know all my love
Even if it's not enough
Enough to mend our broken hearts
But giving you all of me is where I'll start
I won't let sadness steal you from my arms
I won't let pain keep you from my heart
I'll trade the fear of all that I could lose
For every moment I share with you
Chorus
Heaven brought you to this moment, it's too wonderful to speak
You're worth all of me, you're worth all of me
So let me recklessly love you, even if I bleed
You're worth all of me, you're worth all of me
Chorus (X2)
It's where I'll start
It's where I'll start
Matt Hammitt
Afraid to love
Something that could break
Could I move on
If you were torn away?
And I'm so close to what I can't control
I can't give you half my heart
And pray He makes you whole
Chorus
You're gonna have all of me
You're gonna have all of me
'Cause you're worth every falling tear
You're worth facing any fear
You're gonna know all my love
Even if it's not enough
Enough to mend our broken hearts
But giving you all of me is where I'll start
I won't let sadness steal you from my arms
I won't let pain keep you from my heart
I'll trade the fear of all that I could lose
For every moment I share with you
Chorus
Heaven brought you to this moment, it's too wonderful to speak
You're worth all of me, you're worth all of me
So let me recklessly love you, even if I bleed
You're worth all of me, you're worth all of me
Chorus (X2)
It's where I'll start
It's where I'll start
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
LifePlan nuggets
It's been three weeks since I did LifePlan Coaching. I have spent some time reflecting on the things I learned during my sessions. At a risk of being too open, I am going to be very vulnerable today, and share with you my nuggets and takeaways:
- Unbeknown to me, I really wasn't accepting my childhood and past.
- The feeling I could have done something to change the results of my childhood and past has been permeating my life.
- I have been living with fear I didn't think I had.
- I have had deep fear that the life I had before is somehow going to be repeated.
- The degree at which I feel I am not good enough is tremendous.
- The stress I learned to live with in my childhood is an expectation that I feel I must do and keep up now because it was the norm.
- How the gas pedal and brake concepts affect my life significantly, and the focus needs to be kept at monitoring them.
- The level of abuse in my life was more significant, a major impact, and very prevalent, much more than I have given it credit.
- I have spent 35 years in a toxic belief system and being controlled.
- Never having been encouraged, told what I did was good, and spending years being punished, I continue to live out those same feelings in everything. I have lived with feelings of being displeasing and being a disappointment my entire life. I now think everyone feels the same way about me.
- I have carried over these same concepts to my relationship with God.
The areas I feel that have come to light that need to be spent more time reflecting on are:
- How do I change and feel and see God in my past? Yes, I know in my mind he was there. How do I go back and feel he was apart of those details (in my heart) like I do in my journey today when I didn't feel or see him then?
- What am I actively doing to live My Life Purpose?
- How do I aggressively change the "Not Good Enough" mentality to rid it out of my mode of operating? Completely from the core of my being?
Monday, September 16, 2013
Counseling Session #14
After all the events the last few days with God's work in my life, I was feeling almost nervous and anxious as to what to expect in counseling today.
Can I take anything more?
Can I take anything more?
It's not that I am not grateful, beyond words, thankful for God's direction in my life. I am. It's just a bit overwhelming right now all the ways he is sending me messages to remind me: you.are.enough
I am stuck writing my story.
I am stuck trying to implement what I am learning.
I am overwhelmed at the things I am learning.
I am confused at trying to get all this to work.
Counseling was about this...
Quotes
You can't reach for anything new when your hands are still full of yesterdays junk.
- Louise Smith
- Louise Smith
life changes quickly
Yes, life changes quickly.
How quickly? More quickly than we can keep up with.
I was in Colorado a week ago for the weekend for a girlfriends wedding which was held in Estes Park and had some time to visit with friends. I had never been to Estes Park before. It was gorgeous!!! I was able to borrow a vehicle from my Uncle Shawn & Aunt Connie, and drive from their place in Fort Collins up Highway 34 to Estes Park.
The weekend went fast and before you knew it, I was set to fly out of Colorado a week ago Monday at 4pm. As I was sitting at the airport, you could see the storm getting closer. The process went on as planned. We were ticked and boarded our airplane. The skies started looking semi-dark and you could tell a ways out there it was raining. Then it quickly changed. We started getting wind and rain. We came to a stop on the runway, our position in line at 6 for takeoff got put at a halt. The airplane pilot let us know we had sit tight because 20 miles out in the air things were not appearing to be in good shape in the air. The pilot hoped we would be moving in 10 more minutes. About 15 minutes later, the pilot told us there was no update we were in a waiting and holding on the ground, to sit tight and we would wait for word.
We sat some more.
I reactivated my wifi on my cell phone, read some of my favorite blog posts from the last week that I hadn't had a chance yet to read, browsed my Facebook newsfeed and chilled why people around me fidgeted and swarmed in their anxiety. We sat for over an hour before we finally got clearance to proceed further on the runway to head out. The rain continued, but the lightning had backed off and we were cleared to soar the skies.
I arrived home and my life went on like normal. But back in Colorado rain continued to pour. It didn't let up and came down in such large amounts that the newscasters called it Biblical like rains. Enormous amounts of rain. The road below in this picture is Highway 34, the exact road I drove up to Estes Park.
But it wasn't like this when I drove it. It had changed. In 4 short days. Just 4 short days.
When I learned of all the rain happening in Colorado from my relatives, I couldn't help but think of the people I met at the wedding in Estes Park, particularly my friend Gail. She was the one person that I didn't get a picture of or with, and by the time I remembered it, she had already left the wedding site. Maybe this is why she was the first person I contacted to see if she was okay? I did not get a response back until yesterday, early in the morning before I was awake. She states:
Now you know why she is my friend? Do you hear anger in her voice? Do you hear bitterness? Do you hear resentment? Do you hear this isn't fair? No. She has hope. That it will heal her marriage. She could care less about her house. The area. Yes, she wants those things restored, but what matters deeply to her the most? Her marriage. No wonder we connected so quickly in those two hours together at the reception!
Saturday Night on my way to get some Nyquil at the pharmacy because my congestion was so intense, I got a call from a friend in Colorado who wanted me to know they were okay. In talking, she asked if I had heard the news about some friends here in Texas that were involved in an accident on their way home from The Assembly Friday Night Sing. I hadn't. She shared that they were enroute to where they live in Granbury, driving about 60mph when they were rear ended by someone traveling 80mph. This propelled them into the vehicle in front of them, the lady was ejected and died later. They walked away from the accident site alive! Their vehicle totaled, but it was not time for them to go, God had his angels around them. God didn't allow them to be taken. He wanted them here. The purpose for their life is not yet been fulfilled. Their journey not over.
Life is short. Make the most of today. You don't know what tomorrow will bring.
It could bring you some life changing events.
It could be the end.
It could be the beginning.
It could hurt. Cause pain. Inflict grief. Land sorrow.
It could bring joy. Love. Blessings.
But know this, whatever tomorrow brings, it may change your life, but you can still have hope. In some small way...maybe in some big way. God knows the journey you will be on. He is with you, if you have invited him to be apart of it.
Use today to serve him. Share your faith, love and journey with someone. YOU are needed today.
How quickly? More quickly than we can keep up with.
I was in Colorado a week ago for the weekend for a girlfriends wedding which was held in Estes Park and had some time to visit with friends. I had never been to Estes Park before. It was gorgeous!!! I was able to borrow a vehicle from my Uncle Shawn & Aunt Connie, and drive from their place in Fort Collins up Highway 34 to Estes Park.
The weekend went fast and before you knew it, I was set to fly out of Colorado a week ago Monday at 4pm. As I was sitting at the airport, you could see the storm getting closer. The process went on as planned. We were ticked and boarded our airplane. The skies started looking semi-dark and you could tell a ways out there it was raining. Then it quickly changed. We started getting wind and rain. We came to a stop on the runway, our position in line at 6 for takeoff got put at a halt. The airplane pilot let us know we had sit tight because 20 miles out in the air things were not appearing to be in good shape in the air. The pilot hoped we would be moving in 10 more minutes. About 15 minutes later, the pilot told us there was no update we were in a waiting and holding on the ground, to sit tight and we would wait for word.
We sat some more.
I reactivated my wifi on my cell phone, read some of my favorite blog posts from the last week that I hadn't had a chance yet to read, browsed my Facebook newsfeed and chilled why people around me fidgeted and swarmed in their anxiety. We sat for over an hour before we finally got clearance to proceed further on the runway to head out. The rain continued, but the lightning had backed off and we were cleared to soar the skies.
I arrived home and my life went on like normal. But back in Colorado rain continued to pour. It didn't let up and came down in such large amounts that the newscasters called it Biblical like rains. Enormous amounts of rain. The road below in this picture is Highway 34, the exact road I drove up to Estes Park.
But it wasn't like this when I drove it. It had changed. In 4 short days. Just 4 short days.
 |
| Highway 34 to Estes Park |
Hi dear Misty. Thank You for praying. My husband took me home for the first time yesterday...we live off [name of street]...which is mostly destroyed. The water undercut many sections of the road, where both lanes have dropped away. Gas and sewer lines destroyed. Our house is dry, thankfully we have electric and water...our drive has deep ravines and exposed pipes. It was a major 3 mile effort to get home. Staying with [name of friend]. It may be months before repairs are completed. Cold weather and snow are coming. It's quite an adventure...and our needs are only one of thousands. I'm trusting this may bring healing to our marriage...Hope never ceases! I trust you are well... ;)
Now you know why she is my friend? Do you hear anger in her voice? Do you hear bitterness? Do you hear resentment? Do you hear this isn't fair? No. She has hope. That it will heal her marriage. She could care less about her house. The area. Yes, she wants those things restored, but what matters deeply to her the most? Her marriage. No wonder we connected so quickly in those two hours together at the reception!
Saturday Night on my way to get some Nyquil at the pharmacy because my congestion was so intense, I got a call from a friend in Colorado who wanted me to know they were okay. In talking, she asked if I had heard the news about some friends here in Texas that were involved in an accident on their way home from The Assembly Friday Night Sing. I hadn't. She shared that they were enroute to where they live in Granbury, driving about 60mph when they were rear ended by someone traveling 80mph. This propelled them into the vehicle in front of them, the lady was ejected and died later. They walked away from the accident site alive! Their vehicle totaled, but it was not time for them to go, God had his angels around them. God didn't allow them to be taken. He wanted them here. The purpose for their life is not yet been fulfilled. Their journey not over.
Life is short. Make the most of today. You don't know what tomorrow will bring.
It could bring you some life changing events.
It could be the end.
It could be the beginning.
It could hurt. Cause pain. Inflict grief. Land sorrow.
It could bring joy. Love. Blessings.
But know this, whatever tomorrow brings, it may change your life, but you can still have hope. In some small way...maybe in some big way. God knows the journey you will be on. He is with you, if you have invited him to be apart of it.
Use today to serve him. Share your faith, love and journey with someone. YOU are needed today.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Quotes
Your own assessment of your personal effort will turn critical & toxic if the focus of your findings shifts from "this is not good enough" to "I am not good enough".
- Peter Rahme
- Peter Rahme
Saturday, September 14, 2013
1st Testimony with IAmSecondBracelet
I bought an I Am Second bracelet at The Celebrate Freedom Concert in June. I had wanted one and didn't want to pay shipping, so this afforded me the option to not have that expense.
I have previously never purchased any of those "plastic cheap looking" bracelets that are massively produced with a message and worn as a fad by people for a time, first because my Mom would never let me, two because I hate fads, three because I like to wear classy stuff and wasn't into cheap looking stuff.
When I bought this I Am Second bracelet I didn't anticipate wearing it with my other jewelry.
Things change. I am. I was given this beautiful cross bracelet from one of my girlfriends as a "thinking of you" gift and it is awesome to pair it with this I Am Second bracelet!!!
I am not sure when I went to wearing it everyday, with my other jewelry too...but sometime in the weeks that followed I did. I even wear it to bed at night. The only time I take it off is when I shower, and technically I wouldn't have to do that either, it's plastic, nothing will hurt it except maybe the stove or oven.
To look down at my wrist and see the message, a simple clear message to my heart and mind, is one that I love! The reminder is always amazing. It brings focus quickly to life, to challenges, to who is Number One! and need I say, if not, who should be.
I never dreamed of the opportunities that would come from wearing this bracelet. Tonight, I had my first. I was checking out at a local drug store after picking up some cold medicine to get rid of this stuffy head cold that is consuming my every thinking waking moment right now. The clerk checking me out saw my bracelet. She got all excited. "You have an I Am Second bracelet??? I do too!!!" She brought her hand up, but her bracelet was inside out, you could not see the message. I couldn't help myself, before I thought what I was saying, I said: "Girlfriend, why are you not wearing it with the message displayed?" I instantly kicked myself. She sort of winced at what I said and then said "It wasn't intentional." I believed her. Even if what she said isn't true, and she said it out of my condemning question, why would I think that hiding the message with the statement pointed directly to her wrist might not be just what she needed? A silent reminder. Something that people don't question her about? Something that made her feel connected with God? Why did I open my big mouth? Why didn't I just rejoice with her that we both had I Am Second bracelets? When will I learn to not judge? To not assume? To encourage, all the time, in all ways?
I asked her how she learned of I Am Second. This was all that was needed and she quietly, a bit reserved, shared with me her story. She has tried to quit drugs and alcohol. She would make promises and go back on them. She finally realized that she could not do this without God. She became clean April 1st of this year. She is going to a church in Fort Worth who introduced her to I Am Second. She is a fan of them and loves their mission. I gave her my business card and told her that if she ever needed someone to pray with her or wanted to go to lunch, to call me. She asked if she could give me her number. I said absolutely!
I would share with you her name to ask you to pray for her, but in the event that you might run into her or that she might not want her story known in our small town with a handful of drug stores, I want to respect her privacy. Pray for my new friend! Pray that she can continue in growing in her relationship with Jesus. That she can learn to make him first in everything. That her bracelet will be the beginning of even deeper things. Let her meet more friends who will encourage her on her journey to serve God.
This was my very my first testimony experience from wearing the I Am Second bracelet...I am amazed at the small changes in my life that have brought opportunities I never had like this before. Yes, I talked to people about God, I shared "why" I was a Christian, but did they see the Christian spirit in me without me saying a word, without looking religious??? There is a big difference, their excitement, the way they share their faith right back with me, the way they ask questions and not because I look so different they can't help but wonder about me, but the love that comes out of me, that is what is different.
I have previously never purchased any of those "plastic cheap looking" bracelets that are massively produced with a message and worn as a fad by people for a time, first because my Mom would never let me, two because I hate fads, three because I like to wear classy stuff and wasn't into cheap looking stuff.
When I bought this I Am Second bracelet I didn't anticipate wearing it with my other jewelry.
Things change. I am. I was given this beautiful cross bracelet from one of my girlfriends as a "thinking of you" gift and it is awesome to pair it with this I Am Second bracelet!!!
I am not sure when I went to wearing it everyday, with my other jewelry too...but sometime in the weeks that followed I did. I even wear it to bed at night. The only time I take it off is when I shower, and technically I wouldn't have to do that either, it's plastic, nothing will hurt it except maybe the stove or oven.
To look down at my wrist and see the message, a simple clear message to my heart and mind, is one that I love! The reminder is always amazing. It brings focus quickly to life, to challenges, to who is Number One! and need I say, if not, who should be.
I never dreamed of the opportunities that would come from wearing this bracelet. Tonight, I had my first. I was checking out at a local drug store after picking up some cold medicine to get rid of this stuffy head cold that is consuming my every thinking waking moment right now. The clerk checking me out saw my bracelet. She got all excited. "You have an I Am Second bracelet??? I do too!!!" She brought her hand up, but her bracelet was inside out, you could not see the message. I couldn't help myself, before I thought what I was saying, I said: "Girlfriend, why are you not wearing it with the message displayed?" I instantly kicked myself. She sort of winced at what I said and then said "It wasn't intentional." I believed her. Even if what she said isn't true, and she said it out of my condemning question, why would I think that hiding the message with the statement pointed directly to her wrist might not be just what she needed? A silent reminder. Something that people don't question her about? Something that made her feel connected with God? Why did I open my big mouth? Why didn't I just rejoice with her that we both had I Am Second bracelets? When will I learn to not judge? To not assume? To encourage, all the time, in all ways?
I asked her how she learned of I Am Second. This was all that was needed and she quietly, a bit reserved, shared with me her story. She has tried to quit drugs and alcohol. She would make promises and go back on them. She finally realized that she could not do this without God. She became clean April 1st of this year. She is going to a church in Fort Worth who introduced her to I Am Second. She is a fan of them and loves their mission. I gave her my business card and told her that if she ever needed someone to pray with her or wanted to go to lunch, to call me. She asked if she could give me her number. I said absolutely!
I would share with you her name to ask you to pray for her, but in the event that you might run into her or that she might not want her story known in our small town with a handful of drug stores, I want to respect her privacy. Pray for my new friend! Pray that she can continue in growing in her relationship with Jesus. That she can learn to make him first in everything. That her bracelet will be the beginning of even deeper things. Let her meet more friends who will encourage her on her journey to serve God.
This was my very my first testimony experience from wearing the I Am Second bracelet...I am amazed at the small changes in my life that have brought opportunities I never had like this before. Yes, I talked to people about God, I shared "why" I was a Christian, but did they see the Christian spirit in me without me saying a word, without looking religious??? There is a big difference, their excitement, the way they share their faith right back with me, the way they ask questions and not because I look so different they can't help but wonder about me, but the love that comes out of me, that is what is different.
nuggets from "No Longer"
I am being blog away once again by My God...again today. If yesterday wasn't enough, He was over the top today. His hand in my life, how He is aligning events and His timing is absolutely amazing!!!
I am overwhelmed!!!!!!! Truly overwhelmed.
The gratitude I have for Him is ENORMOUS!!! I can't believe Him. The last few days have been magnificent. He loves me. Truly loves me. He demonstrates He Loves Me. He keeps His word. He is too awesome!!!
My journey lately has been incredible! I hope that I can convey everything on the blog because all I can do is get chill bumps and stand in awe.
This year has been a hard one. And yet, at the same time, it has been an incredible one.
God is working in my life. Working deep. He is tearing down the foundation of Misty. He is taking it and reforming it. The process hurts. It is exposing. It makes me feel vulnerable. Vulnerable in a way I have ever felt before. It is bringing feelings to the surface, feelings that I have tried to cover with just "pressing on, leaving those things behind". It is shedding light on what needs work. It is causing a wide range of emotions. From deep difficulties to exuberant elation. It is teaching me to learn from the details. It is making me patient with myself, something I have not ever been. I can be patient, loving, caring and supportive of others, but can't be of me. It is growing me so much so that I now have developed growing pains. A pain so severe that it is affecting every aspect of my life.
It is making people stop and go, what is going on in your life? I see God at work. I see your faith being strengthened. It is making me have hope. It is making me excited to see his work in you. It makes me thrilled for you. You have faced so much. I believe he is going to be working great things in your life.
Yes, God is working in my life friend. In my heart, I believe more changes are coming. I believe we haven't begun to see what His plan is. Some days I question Him and wonder why but the last few days, all I can do is step back and reflect at how amazing He works.
I attended the Beth Moore Living Proof Simulcast today with Ashley, one of my employees, and daughter of a friend of my girlfriend, Jennifer. I woke up with the congestion of sickness worse than the day before. My fever blister hurting. Feeling washed out. It is so hard to get enthusiastic when you feel like crud. My heart wanted to be encouraged and learn, and at the same time my body said really must you do this to me again?
As Beth Moore got started, I wasn't feeling the Spirit. I prayed, Lord help me to receive today what you have for me today and what I need to hear.
I texted two prayer warriors asking for them to pray too. 30 minutes into it, I was overwhelmed. God had lessons for me. Lessons I needed just right now, today, in my journey.
You see, I started professional counseling June 3rd. I was determined to get through the hardest part of my story before my trip to Franklin, TN for Life Plan Coaching with Chris LoCurto and to not have to revisit that part of My Story when I returned. I had a girlfriend say: Why do you do this to yourself? Why don't you just let it flow as it should with counseling? Why do you always set these goals for yourself? I shrugged and replied, I don't know, I am always like this.
God knew I am like this, but he also knew that I needed to be to that part in My Story or I would not have been able to do the coaching sessions that week because it involved a very dynamic part of my personal life, not just business.
God also knew that I would come home from that time, refreshed, with a heart extremely thankful for the time I had in Franklin, ready to refocus on where He is taking me in my journey, resume counseling as I continue to work through telling My Story, and yet overwhelmed by the two days spent deeply learning more about me, feeling frustrated at how I continue to feel like I am not good enough and that I am a complete disappointment to you; desiring desperately to feel good enough, to think I am good enough, to believe I am good enough; and wanting to be thoroughly done with feeling, thinking, and believing I am NOT good enough.
Despite the progress I have made in my life, I struggle to get past how to work through these feelings that happen without me even thinking about them. These feelings are to the core of my being.
God knew, not even two weeks later, I would need to hear "No Longer" by Beth Moore. God planned this message for me so that I would hear loud and clear:
God knew that though I had gotten a clear picture and vision of how I struggle to feel good enough, particularly very strongly in my Life Plan Coaching Session, that I would still be struggling to know how to break that feeling and be frustrated at learning to enforce and reinforce that I am enough. I.Am.Good.Enough. I must believe that I am good enough. The power to change this mode of operating is within me, with the strength from God because He has made me enough. Good enough.
God wanted Beth Moore to say and me to hear:
And when she did, that I would break down sobbing, utterly lose it, right there in a midst of over a hundred ladies, right next to my employee, right here and now today. Nobody's wanted me, but awwwhhhhh, God wants me.
God knew Beth Moore's Old Man Object Lesson would be used to have me see right before my eyes that I am dragging around the "Not Good Enough Old Man". That my identity of not being good enough has been my belief foundation for so long that I am still letting it control me. That though I understand it conceptually in my brain, it still is what is in my heart. I haven't changed my belief system. Yes, I have faced the lie and though I have buried it, I am still visiting that cemetery. That I need to clearly understand I am No Longer The Same. I am no longer not good enough.
Seeing God at work like this in my life the way He has been, only has me amazed.
My God is Amazing!!!
I am overwhelmed!!!!!!! Truly overwhelmed.
The gratitude I have for Him is ENORMOUS!!! I can't believe Him. The last few days have been magnificent. He loves me. Truly loves me. He demonstrates He Loves Me. He keeps His word. He is too awesome!!!
My journey lately has been incredible! I hope that I can convey everything on the blog because all I can do is get chill bumps and stand in awe.
This year has been a hard one. And yet, at the same time, it has been an incredible one.
God is working in my life. Working deep. He is tearing down the foundation of Misty. He is taking it and reforming it. The process hurts. It is exposing. It makes me feel vulnerable. Vulnerable in a way I have ever felt before. It is bringing feelings to the surface, feelings that I have tried to cover with just "pressing on, leaving those things behind". It is shedding light on what needs work. It is causing a wide range of emotions. From deep difficulties to exuberant elation. It is teaching me to learn from the details. It is making me patient with myself, something I have not ever been. I can be patient, loving, caring and supportive of others, but can't be of me. It is growing me so much so that I now have developed growing pains. A pain so severe that it is affecting every aspect of my life.
It is making people stop and go, what is going on in your life? I see God at work. I see your faith being strengthened. It is making me have hope. It is making me excited to see his work in you. It makes me thrilled for you. You have faced so much. I believe he is going to be working great things in your life.
Yes, God is working in my life friend. In my heart, I believe more changes are coming. I believe we haven't begun to see what His plan is. Some days I question Him and wonder why but the last few days, all I can do is step back and reflect at how amazing He works.
I attended the Beth Moore Living Proof Simulcast today with Ashley, one of my employees, and daughter of a friend of my girlfriend, Jennifer. I woke up with the congestion of sickness worse than the day before. My fever blister hurting. Feeling washed out. It is so hard to get enthusiastic when you feel like crud. My heart wanted to be encouraged and learn, and at the same time my body said really must you do this to me again?
As Beth Moore got started, I wasn't feeling the Spirit. I prayed, Lord help me to receive today what you have for me today and what I need to hear.
I texted two prayer warriors asking for them to pray too. 30 minutes into it, I was overwhelmed. God had lessons for me. Lessons I needed just right now, today, in my journey.
You see, I started professional counseling June 3rd. I was determined to get through the hardest part of my story before my trip to Franklin, TN for Life Plan Coaching with Chris LoCurto and to not have to revisit that part of My Story when I returned. I had a girlfriend say: Why do you do this to yourself? Why don't you just let it flow as it should with counseling? Why do you always set these goals for yourself? I shrugged and replied, I don't know, I am always like this.
God knew I am like this, but he also knew that I needed to be to that part in My Story or I would not have been able to do the coaching sessions that week because it involved a very dynamic part of my personal life, not just business.
God also knew that I would come home from that time, refreshed, with a heart extremely thankful for the time I had in Franklin, ready to refocus on where He is taking me in my journey, resume counseling as I continue to work through telling My Story, and yet overwhelmed by the two days spent deeply learning more about me, feeling frustrated at how I continue to feel like I am not good enough and that I am a complete disappointment to you; desiring desperately to feel good enough, to think I am good enough, to believe I am good enough; and wanting to be thoroughly done with feeling, thinking, and believing I am NOT good enough.
Despite the progress I have made in my life, I struggle to get past how to work through these feelings that happen without me even thinking about them. These feelings are to the core of my being.
God knew, not even two weeks later, I would need to hear "No Longer" by Beth Moore. God planned this message for me so that I would hear loud and clear:
God is NOT disappointed!!!
God knew that though I had gotten a clear picture and vision of how I struggle to feel good enough, particularly very strongly in my Life Plan Coaching Session, that I would still be struggling to know how to break that feeling and be frustrated at learning to enforce and reinforce that I am enough. I.Am.Good.Enough. I must believe that I am good enough. The power to change this mode of operating is within me, with the strength from God because He has made me enough. Good enough.
God wanted Beth Moore to say and me to hear:
Jesus still wants you!
And when she did, that I would break down sobbing, utterly lose it, right there in a midst of over a hundred ladies, right next to my employee, right here and now today. Nobody's wanted me, but awwwhhhhh, God wants me.
God knew Beth Moore's Old Man Object Lesson would be used to have me see right before my eyes that I am dragging around the "Not Good Enough Old Man". That my identity of not being good enough has been my belief foundation for so long that I am still letting it control me. That though I understand it conceptually in my brain, it still is what is in my heart. I haven't changed my belief system. Yes, I have faced the lie and though I have buried it, I am still visiting that cemetery. That I need to clearly understand I am No Longer The Same. I am no longer not good enough.
Seeing God at work like this in my life the way He has been, only has me amazed.
My God is Amazing!!!
 |
| Ashley & I together at the Beth Moore Living Proof Simulcast 2013 |
Nugget #1: Jesus has done something monumentally fantastic in your life! You are not a constant disappointment.
Nugget #2: Believe who I say I am. Believe you are who I say you are.
Nugget #3: Jesus still wants me!
Beth Moore: Living Proof Simulcast 2013
Theme of Living Proof 2013: No Longer
Grace is the good news at its greatest.
Romans 5:1 the grace in which you stand.
Grace = charis: grace, particularly that which causes joy, pleasure, gratification, favor, acceptance, for a kindness granted or desired, a benefit, thanks, gratitude, the absolutely free expression of loving kindness [I missed the remaining part of this quote because I couldn't write fast enough, though I tried desperately hard to get it all even though Beth Moore warned us we wouldn't be able to...]
1. Some things in our lives need to hear a loud "No Longer".
Sometimes we say "no", but we still let it continue...we need to say no longer to anything that tries to master us.
2. The power to live out a lasting "No Longer" can't be found under the law.
Romans 6:14 you are not under the law but under grace
Spiritual Neurosis = feeling crazy, trying to live under the law but not grace, contradictions between the two, had to do [law] vs get to do [grace]
Ephesians 4:32 you have been graced by God so you need to live in a conscious state to grace others
Where do you live? Where do you put the relationships you have with others? Law or Grace? We know this better than we live it. Where is my peace?
II Thessalonians 3:14, Titus 3:10, Matthew 18:17
Jesus has done something monumentally fantastic in your life! You are not a constant disappointment. You will distance yourself if you feel this way.
disappoint = 1x in The Word of God AND disappointed 4x's in The Word of God...but never one time was this spoken by God in The Word of God! He said he was displeased or had displeasure in a lack of faith, Hebrews 10:38 (followed up in Hebrews 11:6) but not that he was disappointed. Romans 5:5 (HCSB) this hope will not disappoint us. God is NOT disappointed!!!
disappoint = an expectation not to be met, failed expectations, to fail to fulfill the expectations or wishes of, to frustrate
God knows how you are going to turn out.
Romans 1:5 obedience
Romans 16:26 & 27
3. It's time we no longer see our lives under any heading but "Grace".
The more self aware we are the less we like ourselves...we can't maintain a life of perfection.
Law & Shame vs Grace & Name
No matter how much we hate the law, we are more scared of grace.
Romans 3:21, 27 we boast in the Lord our God
We will only be credited with what we give credit to God for.
Self-Condemnation = pet compulsion of credit cravors
Whatever we add to grace we subtract from God. Grace is the power of the cross. We are the "have's" in the world, not the "have not's".
Get an attitude and say "No Longer". Our human rationale is to keep the law, rev it up and keep the cycle. The power lies in grace. This is where you live here at "111 Grace".
By the law of faith! Faith drives our obedience.
Romans 4:1-3
Believe who I say I am. Believe you are who I say you are.
Reaffirmed or reformed disappointment is regret. We don't believe God is just disappointed in me/us but regrets me/us.
Romans 6:6-14
John 1:16 & 17
Be eccentric.
Law = increases sin, self destructing, even more destruction
Grace = power to be victorious
Romans 5:20
We behave out of our belief system, behavioral compulsions. We believe in our heads that's who we are. do we know, not just in our heads, but deep inside? To the degree you are enslaved to sin to that degree you are out from under grace.
Old Man Object Lesson
[Beth Moore had a real life size dummy that was as tall as her that she used in her object lesson to illustrate all we do to carry around the dead old man with us]
Old Man = he is dead, we are dragging him around with us, we throw him at situations and people, we snuggle up with him, our identity is with him, he means much to us, we can't let go, we do everything to keep him alive, even revive him and even give him CPR if we need to, he is who we feed, we even let him drive and tell us where to go...
We just keep adjusting ourselves to the decay. We remember all the habits of the "old man". We are very attached, sympathetic, and cherish it. If you are dominated by the Old Man, you are living it out.
Ephesians 4:28
Don't give it authority to master you anymore. Don't call it back.
4. It's also time to quit trying to resuscitate the old dead us.
Write an obituary: The Old Me vs The New Me
[Beth Moore gave 4 examples from the blog on this]
You can't see it because the blend is so strong.
Luke 15:17
Jesus Christ is worthy enough for me, you, us!
Galatians 4:4-7
Get your "No Longer" straight. Your enemy is you. God has set the table before you. You have distanced yourself from God. You keep talking yourself out of it. You can't earn it or boast about it.
5. Let's trade our "no longer worthy" for "I'm no longer the same".
There is nothing you cannot come back from. Nothing! Jesus will be glad to see you!!! We all draw a line and the cross always crosses it.
Romans 5:15, 20
We act like our grace equals or is equivalent to our sin.
Sin Increase Grace Abounded
The free gift doesn't match the amount of sin.
Jesus still wants me! That is the taste of grace!!! We say Lord have mercy and when we do, we get upset.
Jesus will come through any door...if you are willing to escape.
Romans 3:23-25 accessible through faith
Hebrews 9:5
Luke 18:9-14 "I"
Lord, I was never worthy enough...but because of you, I AM WORTHY!!! Own it. We got to have Jesus. Come to grace. Nothing can snatch you out of His hand.
You have always embraced me. You have always welcomed me home. you have always been faithful. you have never left me alone. Never. You want us. Your grace immerses us in your love. We can't make it without it. You love us completely.
Romans 5:1 & 2 We have peace with God.
Ephesians 1:6 We are highly favored.
Get the rhythm of grace...you will know you got it when you can dance. My Spirit Rejoices.
6. We will see the face of grace and need grace to bear the beauty.
Acts 20:32 Build You Up!
Get out of your cemetery. We are worthy through your pain and suffering.
#NoLongerTheSame
[the items listed in red are my nuggets in which I will do a followup blog post on]
Friday, September 13, 2013
Do you see God?
If you are an avid follower of my blog, you know that the last year, I have been learning so much about My God. If you aren't, know this, the story is amazing!!! I have learned how God truly is in ALL the details. Not just some of them, but every little one.
I am going to share some of my day today with you to see what I mean when I say this. I wish I could share and blog about all my God Moments...but I have to make a living and currently, my blog is not that. It is a resource to be used in my life and journey, but it is not a form of income, so I can't blog about them all...plus, you would probably be overwhelmed by trying to read them all!
When I did the Beth Moore Bible Study last September - December with some ladies called Breaking Free, Beth Moore talked about how God gave her a message, or God spoke to her, or God revealed himself to her.
I didn't get it. I was used to this being what I had been told all my life as to how "religious people" acted.
As my journey continued, I begin to see God. In a way I had never seen him. I begin to feel him, in a way I had never felt him. I begin to know him, in a way I had never known him. I begin to understand what Beth Moore meant by what she said God had talked to her. I began a journey to be amazed at My God. It is now a daily experience...and I continue to be blown away.
I got in last night at 12.30am...a very late night as I left a clients office at 11pm. I was beat and my heart was not into my day. I jumped in the car and began the trip in prayer, asking God to give me strength to face my day. I didn't feel emotionally ready, and in some ways with the lack of sleep, I didn't feel mentally ready either. The sore throat I have been dealing with since Monday raging out to the tip of my ear. I felt like crud. I wanted to stay home. But I had a fully packed day of appointments and meetings with clients. I then put on some worship music to get me in gear. It did the job. I was soaring! Even at 3 mph through downtown Fort Worth waiting to inch past an accident, I was in the zone.
I began the day at 9am by meeting a client at the bank in Watauga, near the clients office in North Richland Hills. Let me back up, this client and I are night and day opposites. We joke about it because it is so evident. In every way I am classy, he is not. In every way I am calm, he is all over the map. In every way I stay focused, he is searching for a tangent. We are complete opposites, yet we appreciate the skills each of us have. We appreciate the things we each bring to the relationship that help shape the other individual.
We were meeting with the banker to establish a new business relationship and move banking from one big entity to another. My clients hates the issue of finances. Give him money to spend, he is good. Let him be able to provide for his family and he is happy. Tell him something needs to be done, he will go sell more sales, but make him track income and expenses? Get him to stick to a budget? Get him to tend to TWC Notices? IRS Letters? File Franchise Tax Reports? Get data ready for Corporate Taxes? Stay on top of filing? Pay bills timely? Respond to a lawsuit before the deadline? Understand and complete the necessary forms to fill out for a new employee? Ummmmm no, he will procrastinate. This is why he needs me. Or as he says, he desperately needs me.
As we sit with the banker, I decided I wanted a cup of coffee to help my throat since I had not gotten up enough earlier to have a leisurely cup of hot tea. I am 5 feet from my client and the banker, when another banking representative asks him, so is this your better half? My client was not prepared for this. He was speechless and fumbles at a response, actively shaking his head no, finally says no, no she isn't. He was embarrassed. Why? Probably because I am all dressed up and he is not, so the little slur by this well meaning employee made him feel degraded. I let them know he had "a better half" but that it wasn't me. I was his accountant and we were a team. The employee raised their eyebrows at me. Oh? I said, we wouldn't be able to be "halfs", we would drive each other crazy. I let her know we work well together and have for over a year now, but that relationship would never work [even though he is married and has two daughters and isn't single, I was trying to make a point to this person]. My client then said something that made me realize how much he truly appreciates me and to the depth that he feels he desperately needs me. He said, "Misty supports me in more ways than you could imagine with regards to my business, even emotionally with the business. She gives to me more than I could ever ask for. I can't do it without her."
I was not prepared for this. It isn't that my client can't give me a compliment, he never has given me one to this specific line. He does say thanks, in his rough way, maybe buy me a Starbucks drink, but at that moment, I realized meeting him at the bankers office was a very huge deal to him. When he had called me Monday asking me to come to the meeting with him, I had asked what I needed to have ready for the appointment...he said, nothing. I took him at his word. I wasn't even sure why he was having me come if "data wasn't needed".
I know knew why he had me come, beyond the fact that I had to access the Dropbox app on my phone to supply the banker with the necessary information that he had not brought to the meeting, I was his emotional support in this encounter. He gets nervous discussing finances. He doesn't know how to give them gross vs net numbers. He doesn't understand these things. He gets frustrated at the questions. At one point he tried to answer, the banker wasn't understanding, I jumped in and provided the answer. He was agitated, and replied that's what I said, how come when she answers it you take her answer? What did I say differently? He kept asking me why this was taking so freaking long. We were there two hours and he felt this was a complete waste of time. He was irritated. He was ready to walk out before we were even half done. This is why he needed me. This is why he desperately needs me.
God allowed the events today for me to understand three lessons:
CLO: you won the Gold baby!!!
I won a Gold Ticket to this three day Roadtrip Event??? I was pretty sure he was messing with me. Nope. He was for reals. June 19, 2013 he had posted a post on his blog in which he announced he would pick a winner. Gold Ticket status includes a three night hotel stay, a gift card for food or the bookstore, and one ticket to the event.
The blog said they were going to pick a winner on the 24th. Did they and that person cancel and so they had to pick a new winner? Did they just get so busy and forget and were just now getting to it and I was the true real winner? Did they have more entries than they had counted on? Did they have so many good ones that it made choosing hard? Donno. I promote Chris a bunch because I am a fan. I support him. I want him to succeed. He has changed my world, both in 2009 and now again in 2013.
Regardless of how I won the ticket, I know who wants me to be there. God does. I know who planned this. God did. It gives me chill bumps. It makes me stand back and be in awe at my amazing God!!! Amazing.
The old Misty would have thought this "just happened" to me, it was "pure chance" that I was the winner. It's not. It's God working out all the details. It's God showing up and telling me where to go, what to do, how to live. It's God directing my unique journey. It's God who loves me. It is God who is out to amaze me. It is God!
Do you see him? Can I encourage you to start looking for him in your day? He is there! He is in everything. Literally. If you don't see him, you aren't looking. He is not going to hide even if you don't see him, but if you are looking, he will be watching your face. He will be waiting to smile back at you. He will be waiting to give you a hug. But you have to be looking for him. He isn't going to beat you over the head with his presence. He is your friend and he is for you! A cheerleader fully supporting you on your journey.
Do you see God?
I am going to share some of my day today with you to see what I mean when I say this. I wish I could share and blog about all my God Moments...but I have to make a living and currently, my blog is not that. It is a resource to be used in my life and journey, but it is not a form of income, so I can't blog about them all...plus, you would probably be overwhelmed by trying to read them all!
When I did the Beth Moore Bible Study last September - December with some ladies called Breaking Free, Beth Moore talked about how God gave her a message, or God spoke to her, or God revealed himself to her.
I didn't get it. I was used to this being what I had been told all my life as to how "religious people" acted.
As my journey continued, I begin to see God. In a way I had never seen him. I begin to feel him, in a way I had never felt him. I begin to know him, in a way I had never known him. I begin to understand what Beth Moore meant by what she said God had talked to her. I began a journey to be amazed at My God. It is now a daily experience...and I continue to be blown away.
I got in last night at 12.30am...a very late night as I left a clients office at 11pm. I was beat and my heart was not into my day. I jumped in the car and began the trip in prayer, asking God to give me strength to face my day. I didn't feel emotionally ready, and in some ways with the lack of sleep, I didn't feel mentally ready either. The sore throat I have been dealing with since Monday raging out to the tip of my ear. I felt like crud. I wanted to stay home. But I had a fully packed day of appointments and meetings with clients. I then put on some worship music to get me in gear. It did the job. I was soaring! Even at 3 mph through downtown Fort Worth waiting to inch past an accident, I was in the zone.
I began the day at 9am by meeting a client at the bank in Watauga, near the clients office in North Richland Hills. Let me back up, this client and I are night and day opposites. We joke about it because it is so evident. In every way I am classy, he is not. In every way I am calm, he is all over the map. In every way I stay focused, he is searching for a tangent. We are complete opposites, yet we appreciate the skills each of us have. We appreciate the things we each bring to the relationship that help shape the other individual.
We were meeting with the banker to establish a new business relationship and move banking from one big entity to another. My clients hates the issue of finances. Give him money to spend, he is good. Let him be able to provide for his family and he is happy. Tell him something needs to be done, he will go sell more sales, but make him track income and expenses? Get him to stick to a budget? Get him to tend to TWC Notices? IRS Letters? File Franchise Tax Reports? Get data ready for Corporate Taxes? Stay on top of filing? Pay bills timely? Respond to a lawsuit before the deadline? Understand and complete the necessary forms to fill out for a new employee? Ummmmm no, he will procrastinate. This is why he needs me. Or as he says, he desperately needs me.
As we sit with the banker, I decided I wanted a cup of coffee to help my throat since I had not gotten up enough earlier to have a leisurely cup of hot tea. I am 5 feet from my client and the banker, when another banking representative asks him, so is this your better half? My client was not prepared for this. He was speechless and fumbles at a response, actively shaking his head no, finally says no, no she isn't. He was embarrassed. Why? Probably because I am all dressed up and he is not, so the little slur by this well meaning employee made him feel degraded. I let them know he had "a better half" but that it wasn't me. I was his accountant and we were a team. The employee raised their eyebrows at me. Oh? I said, we wouldn't be able to be "halfs", we would drive each other crazy. I let her know we work well together and have for over a year now, but that relationship would never work [even though he is married and has two daughters and isn't single, I was trying to make a point to this person]. My client then said something that made me realize how much he truly appreciates me and to the depth that he feels he desperately needs me. He said, "Misty supports me in more ways than you could imagine with regards to my business, even emotionally with the business. She gives to me more than I could ever ask for. I can't do it without her."
I was not prepared for this. It isn't that my client can't give me a compliment, he never has given me one to this specific line. He does say thanks, in his rough way, maybe buy me a Starbucks drink, but at that moment, I realized meeting him at the bankers office was a very huge deal to him. When he had called me Monday asking me to come to the meeting with him, I had asked what I needed to have ready for the appointment...he said, nothing. I took him at his word. I wasn't even sure why he was having me come if "data wasn't needed".
I know knew why he had me come, beyond the fact that I had to access the Dropbox app on my phone to supply the banker with the necessary information that he had not brought to the meeting, I was his emotional support in this encounter. He gets nervous discussing finances. He doesn't know how to give them gross vs net numbers. He doesn't understand these things. He gets frustrated at the questions. At one point he tried to answer, the banker wasn't understanding, I jumped in and provided the answer. He was agitated, and replied that's what I said, how come when she answers it you take her answer? What did I say differently? He kept asking me why this was taking so freaking long. We were there two hours and he felt this was a complete waste of time. He was irritated. He was ready to walk out before we were even half done. This is why he needed me. This is why he desperately needs me.
God allowed the events today for me to understand three lessons:
- Each of us have unique abilities. We are different, vastly different, but God uses us all on this journey...and he will use us more significantly when we surrender every little bit of us to him.
- He wanted me to see clearly my abilities, the role I play with clients, and give me the message that what I am doing is just his plan and that I am good enough. It is part of the process I am going through right now learning more about me, why I am who I am, and how my strengths and personality display itself.
- To remember that once again, what presents itself is not the whole picture. There is always more going on behind the scene then you can see. In this situation, he helped me see the reason why some people feel desperate and to keep that in mind as they ask for help.
From there, I met my friend Keith for lunch. I don't think I blogged about the last lunch I had with him July...I should have, but probably didn't because I didn't write down anything in our time together. In fact, I had left my notebook in the car...this time, I fixed that!
I met Keith in 2010. We served on a Networking Board for over a year together. He is married and has two kids, is a Christian and loves to share his faith. Keith was a huge supporter in my life during my hard time of business and physical issues. He would call just to check in. He would call to pray with me. He is a joker. He is light hearted but cares deeply about all the people he meets. He knows life is hard. As a guy, he doesn't walk away if you cry. He gives everyone a hug. He is a true friend. Last time we met for lunch, I got to share my story and we finally had to part ways after 3.5 hours talking about God!!! The nugget from sharing my story with him was when he said, "Misty, you have always been an amazing person, but you truly seemed to have blossomed, and really, that word doesn't even describe you! You are absolutely amazing!!! What you are allowing God to do in your life is a true testimony of His Love." Keith's words have stuck with me.
Today, he told me "If I could have just a little bit of your faith Misty, I want it. You are truly an inspiration to so many. You have faced some incredible tragedy and you have allowed God to take you outside the box." Me have more faith than my friend Keith? Not possible. But from his view, I do. At least right now.
This was his comment on Facebook under my post when I checked us in at the Mexican Restaurant:
I met Keith in 2010. We served on a Networking Board for over a year together. He is married and has two kids, is a Christian and loves to share his faith. Keith was a huge supporter in my life during my hard time of business and physical issues. He would call just to check in. He would call to pray with me. He is a joker. He is light hearted but cares deeply about all the people he meets. He knows life is hard. As a guy, he doesn't walk away if you cry. He gives everyone a hug. He is a true friend. Last time we met for lunch, I got to share my story and we finally had to part ways after 3.5 hours talking about God!!! The nugget from sharing my story with him was when he said, "Misty, you have always been an amazing person, but you truly seemed to have blossomed, and really, that word doesn't even describe you! You are absolutely amazing!!! What you are allowing God to do in your life is a true testimony of His Love." Keith's words have stuck with me.
Today, he told me "If I could have just a little bit of your faith Misty, I want it. You are truly an inspiration to so many. You have faced some incredible tragedy and you have allowed God to take you outside the box." Me have more faith than my friend Keith? Not possible. But from his view, I do. At least right now.
This was his comment on Facebook under my post when I checked us in at the Mexican Restaurant:
Lovin' me some Misty time, pure inspiration!
Keith may think I have lots of faith, but the faith I have has only come by exercising it daily. My making God my absolute everything. And when I say that, that is not a cliche comment. God.is.my.everything. I have nothing else. By removing all the lies and anything "in the box" to "outside the box" he has become completely, my everything. Yes literally, everything. Nothing else but God matters to me.
Keith doesn't realize that he is teaching me things to. I am learning to have some close relationships with guys. Guys that put God first like I do. Guys that understand we are all messes. We all feel as a burden. I am learning to share my story. God is teaching me lessons and in this process, I am seeing him in the details, ALL THE DETAILS!
I left that meeting to head to another client's office, get an allergy shot, swing by to pray with a girlfriend, and then get my weekly dose of heaven: some acupuncture.
Jennifer had texted me Thursday asking if I was going to do the Beth Moore Simulcast Living Proof on Saturday. I responded that I hadn't heard about it and wanted more details. When I got home tonight, I checked the email and details and was trying to decide if I should go. I have work that needs to be done and I was scheduled to work the day with Ashley. Part of me didn't want to go by myself. Why? I donno, I do everything by myself and truly have no problem being alone. Why was I feeling this? Another part God was involved in. He wanted me to reach out and email Ashley and asked if she would want to join me. She texted me and said it sounded fun. I made plans to cancel work and do this with her, and went and bought the tickets.
In the midst of all this, I hadn't been home but an hour when I got this text:
Keith doesn't realize that he is teaching me things to. I am learning to have some close relationships with guys. Guys that put God first like I do. Guys that understand we are all messes. We all feel as a burden. I am learning to share my story. God is teaching me lessons and in this process, I am seeing him in the details, ALL THE DETAILS!
I left that meeting to head to another client's office, get an allergy shot, swing by to pray with a girlfriend, and then get my weekly dose of heaven: some acupuncture.
Jennifer had texted me Thursday asking if I was going to do the Beth Moore Simulcast Living Proof on Saturday. I responded that I hadn't heard about it and wanted more details. When I got home tonight, I checked the email and details and was trying to decide if I should go. I have work that needs to be done and I was scheduled to work the day with Ashley. Part of me didn't want to go by myself. Why? I donno, I do everything by myself and truly have no problem being alone. Why was I feeling this? Another part God was involved in. He wanted me to reach out and email Ashley and asked if she would want to join me. She texted me and said it sounded fun. I made plans to cancel work and do this with her, and went and bought the tickets.
In the midst of all this, I hadn't been home but an hour when I got this text:
Hey Chica, are you able to make the Roadtrip event in Cincy?
[I didn't know who this was. I didn't have this person in my phone. I knew what the Roadtrip Event was, but who knew I wanted to go?]
The response was:
[I didn't know who this was. I didn't have this person in my phone. I knew what the Roadtrip Event was, but who knew I wanted to go?]
The response was:
Who is this?
I got: Hahaha. CLo
[Awwwhhhhhhh. This is my Life Plan Coach, Chris LoCurto. Ever have that feeling when you go from hesitation to pure elation? Yah, it was one of those moments. Chris is another anchor in my life. Another guy teaching me lessons. Another friend.]
ME: LOL. I didn't have your number. :) I never bought a ticket. I was hoping to be a blog winner. LOL
CLO: Guess what
I got: Hahaha. CLo
[Awwwhhhhhhh. This is my Life Plan Coach, Chris LoCurto. Ever have that feeling when you go from hesitation to pure elation? Yah, it was one of those moments. Chris is another anchor in my life. Another guy teaching me lessons. Another friend.]
ME: LOL. I didn't have your number. :) I never bought a ticket. I was hoping to be a blog winner. LOL
CLO: Guess what
ME: What? Other than I owe you an email!!!!!!! [He emailed me a week after coaching and I still haven't responded, and its now been 2.5 weeks.]
CLO: you won the Gold baby!!!
I won a Gold Ticket to this three day Roadtrip Event??? I was pretty sure he was messing with me. Nope. He was for reals. June 19, 2013 he had posted a post on his blog in which he announced he would pick a winner. Gold Ticket status includes a three night hotel stay, a gift card for food or the bookstore, and one ticket to the event.
The blog said they were going to pick a winner on the 24th. Did they and that person cancel and so they had to pick a new winner? Did they just get so busy and forget and were just now getting to it and I was the true real winner? Did they have more entries than they had counted on? Did they have so many good ones that it made choosing hard? Donno. I promote Chris a bunch because I am a fan. I support him. I want him to succeed. He has changed my world, both in 2009 and now again in 2013.
Regardless of how I won the ticket, I know who wants me to be there. God does. I know who planned this. God did. It gives me chill bumps. It makes me stand back and be in awe at my amazing God!!! Amazing.
The old Misty would have thought this "just happened" to me, it was "pure chance" that I was the winner. It's not. It's God working out all the details. It's God showing up and telling me where to go, what to do, how to live. It's God directing my unique journey. It's God who loves me. It is God who is out to amaze me. It is God!
Do you see him? Can I encourage you to start looking for him in your day? He is there! He is in everything. Literally. If you don't see him, you aren't looking. He is not going to hide even if you don't see him, but if you are looking, he will be watching your face. He will be waiting to smile back at you. He will be waiting to give you a hug. But you have to be looking for him. He isn't going to beat you over the head with his presence. He is your friend and he is for you! A cheerleader fully supporting you on your journey.
Do you see God?
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