by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
photo credit: jayneandd(creative commons)
According to dictionary.com, the definition of completion is:
the action or process of finishing something.
I don’t know about you, but I have gone through life with a lot of unfinished things. I didn’t finish writing that book report in elementary school, so I just made up a story. I didn’t complete the required criteria to attend the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) field trip in high school, so I didn’t get to attend. I quit going to college after one year. I quit writing because I got depressed. I stopped hoping because I let my faith run dry. The list goes on and on.
Have you been down this road too? You start something only to walk away and leave it unfinished.
Yesterday I celebrated completion. It was the one year anniversary of my graduation from the Table Rock Freedom Center. One year ago I was able to add that word to my vocabulary. I had finally completed something. What a feeling!
For those of you who don’t know about the Table Rock Freedom Center, you can read my latest post about this life changing organization here. As I have said many times, it was the hardest thing I have ever done. But I did it!
It wasn’t just myself that added completion to my list that day. My friend Amy joined me too. We went through the program together. We fought. We screamed at each other. We cussed at each other. We cried together. We prayed together. We screamed together. We laughed together. There were days I couldn’t stand to look at her. And there were days she felt the same about me.
But it never failed, that after a day or so we couldn’t keep going the way we were. We would sit down to talk. Our talk would turn into a louder argument. We would each have our opinions. Then our hearts would soften. By the end of it we were embracing each other through tears. You can’t live with someone 24 hours a day and not grow a bond.
I saw Amy yesterday. We haven’t seen each other much since we left TRFC. Our lives have gone in separate directions, but the bond still remains. I visited her church and we stood together and worshiped like old times. We laughed over lunch and of course reminisced about the good and bad times during the course of that year.
It was nice.
It reminded me that all friendships don’t look the same. Though we don’t see or talk to each other daily, the bond is still there. It picked up where it left off. It always will.
I could have found many ways to celebrate yesterday, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Taking part in the day with the person who shared that moment of completion with me was perfect.
Enduring that intense year has taught me that I no longer have to fear completion. Because of God’s strength in me to overcome that fear, I am now
- Finishing my college degree
- Writing that book I’ve always wanted to write
- Speaking to people with boldness and faith
- Pursuing relationships that could have been lost
- Walking through the hard things despite my fear
Who knew such a word could mean so much?
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us-Hebrews 12:1
What have you recently completed that you never thought you could? If you haven’t done so yet, what fear is holding you back? Comment below…
by | Life Application
Have you ever met that one person in your life that simply looked at you and you felt changed? Their smile made you long for a deeper relationship with Christ. Their hugs gave you a feeling of safety you never knew existed.
I want to introduce you to someone. Someone who has done this for me.
Meet Ted…
December 2006
I met him when I walked into Woodland Hills Family Church as a lost sheep roaming through this world having no idea I needed a Shepard.
Ted was the first person that introduced himself and gave me a hug. I wasn’t a huggy person then, so the fact that he got close enough to do it was definitely from God. I had never experienced anything quite like that. Only one word can describe it – safe.
Over the course of the next six months I watched Ted’s actions. His words inspired, but his actions did more. His smile inspired me. To see a grown man stand on stage and cry when discussing his faith made me long for something like that. The way his heart reached out to others allowed me to see a form of authenticity I had never seen before. I wanted that.
Six months after meeting Ted for the first time and receiving that unforgettable hug, I cried out to Jesus in the middle of my office and gave him my life. I wanted what Ted had.
As I began a new journey in my life, Ted walked with me through it. He gave me truth. He showed me what love from Jesus was. He showed me the heart of a man I had never seen before.
December 2008
Ted prayed with me as I traveled to spend the last days with my dying father.
February 2009
Ted led the funeral of my dad and gave a sermon that brought tears to the eyes of alcoholics, drug addicts, and many lost people that gathered in that room to mourn the loss of my father. Ted didn’t just help me mourn. He helped me celebrate. Because my dad came to know the Lord on his death bed, Ted was able to share that story with others.
At the end of my dad’s funeral, five people raised their hands as Ted invited them to accept Christ into their hearts.
I’ll never forget the words he said to me.
“You’re dad did more for others in his death than he did in his life. Let’s celebrate.”
August 2009
His jeep pulled up at my apartment and as I met him downstairs dressed in a beer stained shirt, swollen eyes from tears, and a broken heart, he said words that changed my life.
“I’m not your father. I’m not your grandfather. But I’m going to talk to you like you’re my daughter. You need help and I love you too much to watch you do this to yourself.”
Two hours later he hugged me as I got in the vehicle to head to The Table Rock Freedom Center.
February 2010
He baptized me with the look of a proud father on his face.
August 2010
He sat in the front row as I shared my story of how God had changed my life as I graduated from TRFC. We also celebrated our over 100 pound weight loss.
Yesterday
We sat at our favorite little diner, Clocker’s Cafe in downtown Branson and talked about the changes God had made in our lives. We shared stories. We shared silent moments of bittersweet memories. That feeling of safety came back as I dipped my spoon in the hot oatmeal and allowed myself to be vulnerable with the man who made me want to be more like Jesus.
If you’ve never met Ted, I hope someday you do. His smile will captivate you. His heart will bring tears to your eyes. His words will challenge you. You can’t walk away the same as before.
Is there a Ted in your life? Comment below…
by | Life Application
photo credit: short sale daily news
Let’s face it. We all make life more difficult than it has to be. Don’t you think? I know I certainly do.
I can be a slob. Sometimes it makes it makes things difficult when I’m trying to figure out where my favorite shirt is. Oh yeah! It’s still in the floor from last week and I forgot to wash it.
Or when I am running late to be somewhere and realize my gas light is on and I have to make an extra stop.
I procrastinate. The jury is still out whether that makes things difficult. I work well under pressure. For instance, I’m under pressure to get this blog post finished because I’m running out of time. But, I’m bound and determined to get it done.
I wanted to share a few ideas with you on how to uncomplicate your life.
Here are fifteen ways to simplify your life:
- Get at least eight hours of sleep per night. You’ll tend to be more productive in the morning and less cranky throughout the day.
- Put money in savings every week, even if it’s only a little bit. You’ll be surprised how fast your discipline pays off.
- Keep your checkbook balanced. Never assume you have enough in the bank.
- Follow a budget. Stick with it. Preaching this to myself.
- Kiss and make up.
- Say “I love you” even when you’re mad.
- Don’t go to bed angry. It’s really not worth it.
- Tell the truth.
- Don’t cheat on your taxes.
- Forgive.
- Spend your time around people who lift you up and encourage you.
- Make time for you.
- Drink more water.
- Let go of your expectations of others.
- Never cease praying. Make this number one on the list.
What are some other things you can do to uncomplicate your life? Comment below…
by | Life Application
photo credit: pinterest
I’ve found another thing to be addicted to.
But…
I think this is actually a good addiction. I was introduced to Pinterest a couple of months ago, but just recently started to dive in a little deeper. I’m pretty happy with what I have found.
If you’re not familiar with Pinterest, check it out. It’s the one stop shop for storing and sharing things you love and find on the internet. For example, I’m finding new recipes I can’t wait to try out. I’m not the craftiest person in the world. I may be able to write a song, but ask me to make a homemade card and you’ll think a kindergartener decorated it. But, it has inspired me to get off my tush and start making do-it-yourself crafts.
I’m actually going to try my hand at making my own toothpaste. Yes, there will be a blog to come I’m sure.
Plan your wedding. Find your vacation dreams. Save that framed art you can’t afford now, but hope to someday. Clip your favorite recipes and make your friends and family think you’ve been doing it for years.
Organize your organization.
I’ve actually been using it for a company I work for, Devo Olive Oil, to post our recipes. Not only is it great for personal use, but I believe it can be another asset to the world of Social Media Marketing.
Give it a shot. Get an invite today!
Are you currently using Pinterest? What do you love most or dislike about it? Comment below…
by | Life Application
photo credit: all american mortgage
Have you ever tried to make a decision based simply on the list of pros and cons? More positive items on the list than negative usually means the decision is obvious. Or is it?
Here’s what I’m getting at:
Let’s bring The Smurfs into the equation.
I, along with my little cousin, Caleb, have been patiently waiting for Smurfs in 3D to hit the theatres this summer. I grew up on that cartoon and was super excited. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a child at heart. I’ll probably never grow out of it. Actually, I should say I hope to never grow out of it.
Caleb and I ventured to the movie theatre ready for an adventure. We got our ticket, our 3D glasses, popcorn and drink. It was showtime! I walked out of the theater with a little less excitement than I went in with.
I decided to make a list about the positive and negatives of the movie. Here goes it:
Positives
- It had an endearing message of learning what’s important in life
- It provided laughter
- You can’t help but fall in love with those cute, blue people
- It was the usual bad guy loses at the end. Who doesn’t love that?
- It was a cute love story
- No profanity
- No drinking
- No drugs
- No inappropriate music
Negatives
- Insinuated foul language by substituting the cuss words with “smurf.” Example: “Smurf This!”
- One scene involved a cleavage shot of a woman whose breasts continued to grow due to a magical potion
- The movie wasn’t completely 3D
That’s it. That’s all the negativity I saw in the movie.
What now?
Based on the list, if I had it to do over again, knowing in advance what I would be seeing, it wouldn’t matter to me that the list of pros were larger than the cons. When I watched The Smurfs as a kid, my mom never had to wonder if it was safe enough. As I sat in that movie theater munching on my popcorn, it occurred to me how many millions of children would see the unnecessary sexual images displayed on the big screen. It also occurred to me how many parents would walk away without a second thought about what their children had seen.
Five years ago I wouldn’t have noticed either. It would have been no big deal to me. But today it is. It’s a big deal! Everyday, we have thousands of images that pass through our minds. If we don’t protect our children and ourselves, who will?
What do you think? Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? Comment below…
by | Life Application
photo credit: marcn (creative commons)
Life is hard. That’s simple enough right? But, what does that mean for us?
I was listening to Joyce Meyer the other day talking about planning our pleasures and our pain. It really got me to thinking how much better I could do, and reminding me that I’m doing better than I think I am.
Here’s some questions for you to answer..
- Do you want to lose weight but haven’t done anything about it yet?
- Is debt piling up and you can’t see over the stack?
- Do you hate your job and come home depressed everyday?
Here’s my next question:
What are you doing about it?
I used to sit around and make excuses for why things weren’t happening. Then I learned that I was wasting my time, others’ time, and wasting my breath. I was making excuses for things that were not beyond my control, but I was looking at the situations as if they were.
I wanted the pleasure of being successful at things, but I didn’t want to go through the pain of getting there. Sometimes life calls for pain. There is no way around it. You have to plan your pleasure. Plan how you will get there.
Here are three excuses we make instead of planning our pleasures:
I’m Not Losing Weight. Are you getting off the couch? Are you looking in the mirror saying, “I wish I could be skinny?” As Joyce says, “You ain’t gonna get it wishing!” Stop waiting for others to do it with you. Stop waiting for the next best diet. Get up! If I can do it, you can do it. No more excuses. I started small with a tiny walk around the parking lot. I traded McDonald’s for grilled chicken. I didn’t go on a diet. I didn’t starve myself. I went through the pain of excercising and changiing my lifestyle. Guess what? That pain eventually got easier. You have to make the decision today that you will stop wishing for what you could have and start planning for what you will have.
I’ll Never Get Out Of Debt. Not with that attitude you won’t. Here’s my first suggestion: cut up those credit cards now! If you don’t have the willpower to say no, then don’t give yourself the temptation. Just as in losing weight, it takes one step at a time. One payment at a time. One month at a time. But if you plan the pleasure and start walking through the pain, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Let me be honest with you. I have some medical debt stacked up. I started to get defeated by looking at the bills stacking up in my shoe box, but one day I sat down and started opening everyone of them. I put them in a spreadsheet and figured out how much I owed. I was actually happy with the total. It could have been much worse. Then I came up with a plan. I have a certain amount I plan to pay every month, and am hoping that within the year I will be debt free. I’m planning the pleasure of paying off that last bill and will smile at the end of the pain. This doesn’t mean that you have to live a dull life and never grab a movie and popcorn. But make your choices wisely. I am by no means a professional in this area, but God is growing me.
My Job Gets Worse Everyday. Not everyone loves their job. Not everyone is expected to stay in a miserable work environment all of their life. But, you are expected to keep your integrity and good attitutude at work, despite what others around you do. Check your heart and your attitude. Ask yourself what needs to be changed inside of you before you blame your job for negative things in your life. If you’ve worked on you and things are still rough, plan the pleasure of finding a new job, continuing to dig in and do your work based on Colossians 3:23-24.
Obviously I can’t cover all the excuses you or I make, but these are some main ones I hear. Whatever situation is in your life right now, sit down and reevaluate the situation. Plan your pleasure. It’s right around the corner if you decide to make it happen.
What pleasures are you currently working on? Comment below…
