song ~ when all is said and done

When All Is Said and Done
by Matt Redmon

Life´s too short to be lukewarm,
This is I know, this I know.
Jesus You can have it all
My every breath,
My every breath.


I need Your power to live this life,
This I know, this I know.
I can´t do this by myself;
You´re Christ in me
My only hope,
My only hope.


As I walk this broken world,
Tune my life to heaven´s song
For I am Yours.
And when all is said and done,
Tune my life to heaven´s song
Forevermore.

Quotes

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.
-Confucius

Welcome to Flight 2012

Good morning and Welcome to Flight #2012!  We are prepared to take off into the New Year. Please make sure your Attitude and Blessings are secured & locked in, in upright position. All self destructive devices should be turned off at this time. 

All negativity, hurt and discouragement should be put away. Should we lose Attitude under pressure during the flight, reach up and pull down a Prayer. Prayers will automatically be activated by Faith. Once your Faith is activated you can assist other passengers. There will be NO BAGGAGE, allowed on this flight.

The Captain has cleared us for takeoff. Destination GREATNESS.  We look forward to completing the journey with you!


(taken from someone's post on Facebook)

2012 Goals & Resolutions

Each Year, I create my list of Goals & Resolutions for both personal and business goals, but the last 3 years I started publishing them on my blog also.  In 2009 I also did quarterly updates on my blog as to what type of progress I had made towards this goal.  In 2010, I only did 2nd quarter & 4th quarter updates.  I feel it is helpful to take time out and reflect on where you are at and if you are making progress, but that takes focus to make that happen, and then time to actually write it down and publish it on the blog.  If you wish to review 2009 Goals & Resolutions, 2010 Goals & Resolutions or 2011 Goals & Resolutions, click on the links, you can search for the quarterly updates too.  I have had various goals from 5 - 10, but I continue to find more strength and focus when I limit it to just a few.  This year, my personal goals are much the same as last year because I feel more work still needs to be done in these areas; however this year I will also add a theme to my focus.

personal goals

#1 create and implement Balance in all areas of the wheel of life (spiritual, physical, intellectual, family, social, career, and financial - each of these have goals within them listed below):

spiritual
spend time each day in prayer that God direct me in my path & integrity of my heart, that He will give me the strength to face the events in my life, the courage to press on, the help to change what needs to be; read a chapter or some of favorite verses or a daily devotional

physical
continue to commit to a walk every morning for 1.5-3miles; log into sparkpeople.com daily to track my exercise; continue a healthy food diet with no wheat, sugar or trans fats - eating lots of raw vegetables; take all vitamins & supplements daily; get 8hrs or more of sleep which means I have a set schedule when I go to bed & when I get up each day; continue to drink lots of water and don't forget to pack it in the car when traveling to client offices; don't continue to push myself when I can tell my batteries need recharging

intellectual
read 2 and/or listen to 2 audio books a month, at minimum; blog about each with a book review highlighting my nuggets and take-aways; continue the process of learning more information in the my field of business specialty (medical billing & accounting)

family
spend an evening every two weeks at the home of someone I consider my family (since I don't have family in Texas); have a lunch/dinner date with a girlfriend every two weeks, more if possible

social
email a few of my friends weekly; call a few of my friends once a month; entertain company once a month on Saturday night or Sunday afternoon

career 
focus on continued employee training with new employees; continue to find ways to provide excellent service to my clients; build 4 more strong clients; book 5 speaking engagements for the year

financial
pay off new Honda Civic by one year anniversary date of purchase (March 30, 2012); continue to not spend money on anything that is not a need; resume scheduled savings of 10%

#2 in the quest to simplify and lead a quiet life: 

spend one hour each week in the efforts to organize, cull, condense, minimize, sell or use up things in & around the casa - attack a section of a room for 20minutes 3x's a week; monthly list items on eBay & Craigs List; enlist help from friends on ideas and suggestions on how to do this

#3 Schedule two vacations for the year; book one weekend a month off - just for me

business goals

#1 continue to build a client base that follows the mission & vision of my business and increase that with 4 more clients this year, with the goal of 1 a quarter

#2 give website a new look with updated copy & add new team members

#3 continue to build strategic business partner relationships with the goal to reach out to one of them once a week and to make connections with two new people a month

#4 research becoming Quickbooks Certified and enroll if will increase my skills

#5 take a course in Microsoft Office to learn more about graphs and pivots

continue to review EntreLeadership materials quarterly for refreshment & encouragement (rehearse, execute, review); check in with EntreLeadership friends to motivate, encourage, gather ideas, share and cheer each other on success;  review & define motivation, delegation, responsibility, accountability, and authority in my position so that I have a clear picture in view to stay focused on what I expect of me & my team

theme: renew 

~ my focus to aspire to lead a quiet life

~ my strength physically and overall health

~ an even greater dedicated purpose in serving the Lord and study of His Word

~ my mission to not work 6 days a week

~ learn more about myself and make needed improvements that flow with being renewed

a few verses on renew

Romans 12:2 

renew your mind

change the way you think 

Isaiah 40:31 

those who hope/trust in the Lord will renew their strength

those who wait will gain new strength

II Corinthians 14:6

our spirits are being renewed every day

our inner self is being renewed day by day

Colossians 3:10

be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like Him

be renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him


2012 Theme:
This years theme is RENEW.

scheduling sickness...

This week I had the thought, wouldn't it be nice if you could schedule sickness?  When you could book it and get it over with?  And then I had the thought, yah, if it was like that, none of us would ever schedule it...just like I can't seem to schedule vacations.  However, it does seem that sickness arrives around the year end/new year every year and it is always the most inconvenient times. I am swamped with work for month end, year end, new industry conversion changes happening and it is not good to try to be muddling through all of this while I feel crummy and wish I could just crawl in bed, pull up the covers and shut the world out.  No use complaining, I can't change it, the germs were contacted at the Christian Camp Retreat last weekend and are still with me.  However, I am trying to keep them in my casa so I won't be able to enjoy the New Years Party tomorrow night.

song ~ there is nothing

There is Nothing

Laura Story

Lord I come before You
To honor and adore You
For who You are
and all that You have done
Lord I am not worthy
My heart is dark and dirty
Still somehow
You bid for me to come
So clothe me in humility
Remind me, that I come before a King
And there is nothing
There is nothing
More precious, more worthy
May I gaze deeper
May I stay longer
May I press onward to know You Lord 

May our time be sweeter 
May I be a keeper 
Of the promises 
I make to You in song 
Lord may I remember 
these moments of surrender 
And live my life 
this way from this day on 
So clothe me in humility 
Remind me, that I come before a King 
And there is nothing 
There is nothing 
More precious, more worthy 
May I gaze deeper 
May I stay longer 
May I press onward to know You Lord 
So clothe me in humility 
Remind me.....that I come before a King 
And there is nothing 
There is nothing 
More precious, more worthy 
May I gaze deeper 
May I stay longer 
May I press onward to know You Lord 
May I press onward to know You Lord

Quotes

"People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things. "

- Sir Edmund Hilary, First to reach the summit of Mount Everest

reflections on Gods Word...

God's Word is

• near to all
• brings wisdom
• illuminates
• endures forever
• is pure
• a shield 
• clean
• true
• perfect 
• effective
• will accomplish what He pleases
• is living
• brings growth
• is to be obeyed
• brings comfort
• provides hope
• sanctifies
• saves
• continual cleanses
• is a treasure

What is God's Word to you?

Quotes

“No great goal was ever easily achieved.”

― Margaret Thatcher

verse to reflect on...

I don't read much in other versions, but someone posted this on Facebook recently of Galatians 6:19 - 23 [in the Message version] and it got me to thinking and I wanted to share...thought it is a lot to absorb. 

It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness;trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.  But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard-things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.

thought for the day...

if we would only remember this.......

Quotes

It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not. 

– Heraclitus

verse to reflect on...

Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble.
I Peter 3:8

appreciate the prayers...

...who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. -II Corinthians 1:4 


I am thanful for my friends, for doing your part and praying for me...the appreciate is beyond words! I know God is with me and I am glad to have you with me on this journey.

verse to reflect on...

Be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
- 1 Samuel 12:24

need your prayers...

...would like to request YOUR prayers. Just like you, I have times in my life that things seem to be more than I can take. Just say a prayer for me. That is all I need, want or ask. Pray.

Quotes

"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things."

- Albert Einstein

consider what you say & how it might be taken

Today, I would like to get us to think about what we say.......


Let me preface:  I am pretty direct in how I approach problems.  I don't always think through what I say and the impact it will make.  I don't typically hide the fact I am not happy, bothered, hurt, frustrated, perturbed, irritated, at my wits end, etc.  However, I am learning to be constructive in those feelings and address them in communication.  I have always been a communicator, but there are ways that are fruitful in communicating and others that are not.  I have been told I am a very patient person, however that doesn't mean that patience is going on on the inside.


I was out on a Friday night a month ago, walking through the parking lot of the building where we meet for christian activities, and it was pitch black.  A little girl, probably about 9 or 10, on roller blades was behind me and said to me:  "Who are you?".  I realized it was dark and she probably didn't recognize me with my coat on and said, "It's Misty".  She replied: "Oh, I never see you any more.  You hardly come."  I felt like I had been slapped across the face. I was trying desperately to find air.  I needed to breath.  My chest felt tight.  I wanted to run.  I wished my car wasn't parked out by the street, wish it had been close to the building so I could escape quickly.  The pain of the comment hurt so deep.  It is a good thing it was dark because I have been told that even if I say nothing, my face shows everything.  I told myself "Be calm", though I was not.  I replied:  "I am not always able to be here, but I try to come all I can".  She replied:  "Yah, we can't come all the time either.  I hope you have a great birthday."  I told her thanks and was inwardly grateful that my comment diffused any further biting reply.  As I walked to my car, the tears started to overflow my eyes.  I couldn't help it.  Satan was battling with remarks in my mind.  "See, her parents are obviously talking about you and your lack of attendance."...
"Now you know the truth, you wondered if people were thinking you were going off the deep end because of your missing normal scheduled events, and look, they are!"...
"You thought some people understood what you are facing, but they don't."...
"Why are you bothering to come? If they are rating you on your attendance and roll call, then seriously, they don't care what you are experiencing do they?".......


I got in my car.  I sat in the dark. I prayed.  Prayed for strength.  Prayed that I not let this bother me.  Prayed that though many, many, many do not understand that you Oh  My God do, and that Only You will be patient with me, will help me, will encourage me, will guide me to the degree I need...and though I don't understand why you think I can handle this and everything else on my plate, why after all I have been through I must face more...you are the all knowing God and you know.  You know everything!  Though I don't know why, I can trust you because you have always guided me and seen me through everything I have faced.  Even when nobody else has understood, does understand or will understand...and even though people push me away, treat me differently, you truly don't.  


Did the tears stop? No.  Did I have peace?  Yes.  Do I understand these people I love much?  No.  


I need to have less expectations that they can or that they will.  I need to let them give me space because they are making terms of our relationship that God doesn't make.  Though it hurts, hurts deep, I can and will press on.  God will give me strength.


So, I share today...a true story...because I want me to stop and think when I have something to say...do I consider how it is taken?  

walking pays off!

I have been walking every morning (or nearly every morning) at a local track.  It is one of the things I do first thing after getting up.  I aim to walk 1.5 - 3 miles, depending on time, energy and inspiration, but generally walk 2 miles.  I started this routine back in May when I realized that I needed more exercise and was trying to help with some fatigue and insomnia that has lasted far too long.  The efforts have paid off, according to the weigh in at my doctor's office on Monday, I have lost 16 pounds since then!  Though I don't feel or to me look like I have lost that much, I am grateful for the fact that I have and I hope to add some more cardio routines if possible.  So if you don't think you can do something, don't have the time, energy or money...go for a walk.  Walking pays off!  2 miles takes me 25 minutes.

What form of exercise do you do?

some exciting news...

For the discreteness of my friend, I will not use names...but I am excited that her husband got parole for a crime he did not do. Now the waiting for when the event will take place, could be 6wks...or maybe even 4 months. This has been a long process and I know that there will be challenges in this bitter sweet news! However, I will miss my friend & employee!!!  But the truth is yet revealed, in God's timing, He works all things out.  God is good!

verse to reflect on...

But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
   - Deuteronomy 8:18