My dear Misty

My dear Misty Gilbert,

I have promised to never leave you or forsake you. Why do you act like you are all alone? I see everything. You don't have to act like I am not aware. I know more then you give me credit for. What if you tried to see it from my perspective? What if you remembered that I am in control? What if you realized I have already won this battle?

I know it hurts. It hurts like hell. Your heart has been punctured yet again, driving the wound deeper. Making you question things you shouldn't. Making you doubt and loose your strong courageous heart. You know the truth in these dark days you are facing. Will you seek the light in me? Or will you turn your face to the darkness? I have promised to guide you. Will you give me a chance?

You sing worship songs that you trust me, that you love me, that you believe in me. Will you walk this out? Not just in music but in your daily life, with courage? Yes, I am asking you to have more courage then you have had to date. Today, in the midst of challenges, in the unknown, I want you to believe you are loved.

What if I want to see your faith in action? What if I want to see you be brave? What if I am asking you to be bold? What if all of this was preparing you for the next Chapter that I want you to walk through? What if you really, truly, believed that I am in control of all things? What if you took hold of these truths to a greater level? What if you didn't hold back?

Will you let me love you? Will you let me show you how much I care? Will you give me the place I want in your life? Or will you shove me out? I don't make empty promises to you. I have never let you down.

Quit letting people take you back to somewhere I took you away from.

Quit letting people put you in a box you don't belong in.

-Quit letting other peoples opinions of you define what you think, how you feel, what you do, what you say, and how you live!

I am working a deep beautiful amazing and marvelous plan in you. Will you let me perfect this in you or will you let them destroy you?

I pray today that you will go forward, with more courage, more love, more hope, and more determination to fight the good fight, to be all in the game, to not be discouraged, to pursue me with your whole heart because I am for you and have never been against you! I honestly LOVE YOU and don't need you to prove anything in our relationship.

Love God
#Prayer #Pray #PrayForOneAnother #PrayerWarriors #ThePowerOfPrayer #PrayerChangesLives

Yes, We are Funny Humans

I reflect often on a speech given by Sean Stephenson this past September 2016 at Personal Growth Summit. When he is asked what is your favorite animal, he replies: Humans. He said we truly are remarkable and yet we are funny individuals.

I agree.

We get frustrated when something we buy isn't full to the brim because we don't feel we got our monies worth. But we also get frustrated when we open it up and it spills everywhere.

We feel we are stifled as teenagers that we don't get to do the things we want to do and feel we have a right to do. Yet, when we get the opportunity to do these things as adults and get these "rights", we let them control our lives, ruin relationships, and then they create chaos and wreck havoc on our lives when we don't keep them in balance.

When we don't have money we want it. When we have money we don't appreciate it or aren't grateful for it. This really goes for anything. What we don't have we want. What we have we don't want.

We say we believe love never fails. Yet we live most of our lives doubting in love, shoving away love and looking for love to fail us.

But what would it be like if we truly thought about how we lived our lives? What if we reflected on our own thoughts? What if we evaluated our own actions?
#Reflections #TheHumanRace #BeDifferent #CreateTheLifeYouWant#LiveIntentionally

Will you take the High Road?

I had a strategic business partner of a client who is working on a project along with me that deleted my 3 emails sent November 15th. They refused to open or read them because they "didn't know me". When I contacted the individual 3 days later to try to follow up and learned of this, I asked why they would do this when my client was copied on the email also, there wasn't any links or suspicious attachments in the emails, the emails were a simply request for data and to set up a meeting to talk. I wanted to know why would they not at least inquire instead of just assume I was spam or a virus? I was told this was their policy. Period. They asked me to resend the emails and I did.

2 weeks later, I still don't have what I need nor have I gotten a response to the 3 original emails that were resent. I sent a 3rd email to follow up. My client contacted me this morning after getting the email and let me know that because I questioned this individuals business processes 2 weeks ago, they refused to get me what I needed or work with me on the project. I said, wow, I am sorry, I had no clue that trying to learn how someone does business would create such a ruckus. What can I do? My client asked that I please contact them and apologize even though this shouldn't be necessary to create a business relationship, and the person got their feelings hurt and shouldn't have over a simple question, and to try to help them understand my perspective that in 20 Years of being in the Industry I was just shocked at how someone would run their business like this and it was something that has never happened to me before. From my perspective my email subject matters were detailed and specific, not suspicious, and I was trying to learn and understand how they operate and how to connect in the future as we jointly work to fulfill their accounting needs.

I did this. I called, said I am sorry I offended you. I am sorry you got your feelings hurt. I am sorry I made you upset. Can we work this out? Can we try to solve this problem? I don't want to have to do double work. I don't want to have to recreate 4 to 5 years of data. We had a 35 minute conversation and we are back on track!

I share this with you to help remind you that:

Sometimes you have to do things that don't make sense. 

Sometimes you have to see it from someone else's perspective. 

Sometimes you have to apologize and try to mend hurt feelings even if you never intended to hurt someone or they shouldn't have taken offense to a question. 

Sometimes for the sake of the relationship you have to take the high road and go beyond the circumstances and connect. 

Sometimes it takes time out of your work and production to share in another's life and help them see you are trying to achieve the same results they are, that you are fighting with them not against them. 

Sometimes it takes courage to be the person who can help them see that they were acting like a little child. 

We all are a work in progress and it helps if you remember that you have acted like a little child or a brat or a bitch or a witch or hurtful no doubt once before with someone and that the only way to repair anything is to be kind.

How will you choose today to be kind?

How will you live out your life to be courageous, be generous, be loving?

You have a choice.
#RelationshipsMatter #ThePowerOfChoice #BeDifferent#ShareInEachOthersLives

What's wrong with: How Can it Get Better than this?

There is a phrase that runs around the coaching circles, especially from some out of Utah, that is frequently used after something good has happened, they ask:   

How can it get better than this?  

The idea around this phrase is to invite more good into your life, that things can get better then they currently are, that this isn't even the top, so don't stop here, there is something better.

I must admit, I am not fond of it. 

I would like to share with you why and get your thoughts.

I believe God has designed us to live an abundant life.  That means when we are fully living connected to Him, seeking Him daily in our interactions with each other, our thoughts and things of concern to us, each day is going to be better than the last.  Because He is building our life.  One piece at a time.  The things we are experiencing now, can't compare to the future.

I believe God wants us to have hope for the future, to believe that the things ahead are better then what we have now, but I do not believe that means that we aren't grateful for the beauty in our life at this current moment.  For when we are truly grateful for the good we already have in our life, that alone allows us to embrace our current life fully.  We aren't longing for more good.  We are thankful for the good we have.  We aren't seeking to one up the good we have.  We aren't challenging God with, this isn't enough, bring on more, we are thankful for the part He already has brought to our life and we let what He has filled our lives with overflow our hearts in the moment.

This isn't heaven, the ultimate good will be made complete then, but we are able to enjoy all the things He has given us here and this should be enough.  We shouldn't be longing and begging for more good.  We have it good.  Here and now.  We truly do!

Lastly, God promises us that each day is a brand new day, full of blessings, and a clean slate.  Our yesterday's are not held against us.  Our future's are not held against us.  We are loved in this moment just as we are.  We have to prove nothing or have nothing we have to get.  We are complete just as we are.  There is nothing, absolutely nothing, better than that! 

How can we be more grateful for the good already that God has bestowed upon us and given to us freely?

you've hurt someone too

When we realize that we have all hurt people, there isn't one of us who hasn't hurt or offended someone, you then understand that the only way to counteract that is to love. You choose to love. 

Be kind. 

Say I'm sorry.

Pray for them. Pray for you. Encourage them where you can and where they let you in. If they shut you out, don't get bitter. Let them go. But still love.

In the end, loving people will love people.

This is a choice. To work through conflict, disagreements, hurts, no matter what. To love. 

#BeLoving #LoveOnPurpose #ChooseLove

Your Look On Life

You have been trained to look at life as though you will always have speed bumps and struggles. That you have to be afraid and live in fear. That you can only handle so much. That you will always get disappointments. That you can't trust others. That love is hard. That there are limits on well being, love, and that life is such a challenge.

Have compassion for yourself.
Have love for yourself.
Have grace for yourself.

For the life experiences that have trained you look at life this way. For the life experiences and circumstances and people that have molded you to believe this is all there is to the journey. For the choice you have to push beyond this and have gratitude and appreciation.

You get to choose love.

You get to choose gratitude.

You get to choose trust.

You get to choose appreciation.

You get to choose to believe you are not alone.
#TheSassyVoice #CreateTheLifeYouWant #LiveIntentionally#LoveOnPurpose

Prayer 11.22.2016

Dear Lord,

Today as we reflect on our lives, I pray that we will realize that life can sometimes be like a game of Checkers or Chess (or really any other game), we have to take time to contemplate the next move. We have to consider options. We have to decide what we feel we should play. We have to decide how we will show up. We have to make a plan, plan our plan, and be committed to our plan. We have to ultimately have a vision of where you want to go and the end result of the game so you can create each play in the game.

Let us not forget that in every moment, we have to ultimately act. We can talk all day about a plan, but action is what creates results. And through action we show the world our choice.

We have to trust that we will know that you will guide us into which move is right. We know that it is through making decisions repeatedly and being disciplined that we get results. We also know that you give us a choice to choose. We have freedom in this power you give us. Help us to make the play that you want us to.

Sometimes we have to position ourselves for a loss so we can have a bigger or better or more important win. Sometimes we get crowned King or Queen. Sometimes we conqueror everything in our path. Sometimes we loose it all. Sometimes the things we loose aren't nearly as important as the energy we give them. Just as some of the wins we really want aren't nearly as important as we place them to be.

Sometimes we feel the whole play is taking too long. Sometimes the whole outcome unravels and happens all very quickly. Sometimes we see what is coming and sometimes we are blind sighted. But in all of this, your timing is perfect, and we need to realize that you are the master of the game. We can't let the game determine the outcome of our enjoyment of it.

We are told that those who win are the winners of life and those that loose are the losers of life. Yet, in reality, the score doesn't matter. You've covered all the wins and all the losses. Help us to not get stuck in the wins or the losses but to enjoy the game.

Help us to see each person on the team who is fighting with us to stay in the game. Help us to appreciate all the players, not just the ones on our team but the ones fighting against us, for they help strengthen us. They help us become better in the game. They help create the character inside of us to play the game. They show us what we need to learn to be a better player. They also make us see what is possible in ourselves when we can't see it. Help us to take the blows that are dealt directly at us and be a champion. Help us to remember that we are always being watched.

In all of this game of life, you are always with us, in every move. We do not have to be afraid. We do not have to have worry. We do not have to be discouraged. You give us hope. You give us strength. You only ask us to believe in faith. To trust you. And above all love you and your players.

Today as we continue to play our game, may we be more devoted to focusing on being intentional in our connections, relationships and time with each other. May we be the arms and feet of you to all those who come into our game. May we forgive. May we give grace. May we treat each other the way we want to be treated.

May we make more choices to love in spite of the pain we have experienced in life. May we choose faith over doubt. May we share more truth and light. May we choose love. May we never loose heart in the game and always stay focused.

In your loving and powerful name I pray, AMEN!
#PrayForOneAnother #PrayerChangesLives #BeAllInTheGame#LifeIsAGame #PlayWell #ThePowerOfChoice #CreateTheLifeYouWant#LiveIntentionally #LiveIntentionallyInFreedom

Thankful. Today.

Today, I am thankful.

Thankful for My God who walks with me through every storm, challenge and dark day of my life.

Thankful for My Circle of Friends who have been praying for me.

Thankful for my bed, my down pillow and cozy comforter that have allowed me to sleep lots and work on being healed.

Thankful for garlic tea, lemon tea, peppermint tea, green tea, and all other herbal teas that bring warmth to my throat and body.

Thankful for understanding clients, strategic business partners, charity partners, my coach and each of my friends that have had to deal with my canceling of all plans for days on end. For their grace in understanding I just couldn't do it. For being patient with me when this had a ripple effect on their schedule too.

Thankful for a house that is quiet and peaceful.

Thankful for another day to do nothing.

Thankful for a friend who is able to use my The Lantern Fest: Dallas ticket for today in which I was going to send off 1 Lantern for all my Gratitude and 1 Lantern for Dreams for the Future. This will remain on my want to and wish to do list.

Thankful for the growth in my own life to say no and take care of me.

Thankful that I have no feelings of guilt for taking care of me. This is a new experience and I am appreciative of all who have worked with me to bring me to this place in my life.

Thankful for the resources in Probiotics, Acidophilus, Vitamins, Immune Defense Emergen-C, Dayquil, Nyquil, Collidal Silver, and whatever else I am forgetting in my extreme regimen.

Thankful for Fresh Squeezed Juice.

Thankful for you and that I get to do life with you.
#TheLifeOfMisty #Thankful #HaveGratitude #BeThankful#ExpressYourThanks #LifeIsAGift #ShareInEachOthersLives

Today I am Thankful

Today...I am thankful.

Thankful for Veterans who fulfill a calling and serve, because they believe in The United States of America. They believe in their job to protect. They believe in the gift of giving for others. They believe in standing for the principles of our military. They will do so with their life.

Thankful for Friends who will listen. Who will work through differences, disagreements and varied perspectives. Who will show love, always love. Who will give input. Who will not shun or reject or build walls. Who will empower each other. Who believe in each others true character and hearts. Who won't let hurt feelings ruin a relationship. Who will give, graciously, unconditionally, and openly. Who will walk the walk and talk the talk. Who have integrity, honesty, commitment. Who will choose to love through anything and everything.

Thankful for another day to live this beautiful life.

What are you Thankful for?
#BeGrateful #HaveGratitude #ChooseLove #LoveOnPurpose

how to choose when your heart is hurting

My heart is hurting. Deeply. I feel crushed.

Yet I'm not, it's just a feeling. Because His Word tells me I will feel crushed, taken out, torn down, destroyed, forsaken, rejected, BUT He has overcome my battles! He has already provided a way through it! So yet, again today, I'm asking God for strength and direction. I believe in Him. I trust Him.

These aren't empty words. They have power. And I say them with ownership of them.

I get to walk out my Faith. I get to choose to Believe. I get to choose Love.

Even in the dark moments. Even in the waves. Even in the emotional pain. Even when life has its moments that make you question why you have Friends. Even in the ugly situations.

And as always, I will choose to find Gratitude in ALL things.

What will you choose?
#ThePowerOfChoice #PainIsAGift #RelationshipsMatter #TheSassyVoice

The Everyday Election

Every day, we get to choose in the Election.

The election of thoughts.
The election of actions.
The election of love.
The election of discipline.
The election of choice.
The election of motivation.
The election of grace.

The election is personal. It mirrors your internal beliefs. You are unique in what you create. It is a minute by minute choice. It is created by your own power. You are responsible for your own election. What will you choose?
#CreateTheLifeYouWant #LiveIntentionally #Election2016#ThePowerOfChoice