Category: Becoming the Whole You

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Life is a Vapor

Life is a vapor. It is here for only a short time just like the cloud that rests on this water.

Life is short….we say it frequently in casual conversation. We use the phrase like we truly understand the depth of its truth. I believe we all reach a place in our lives at one time or another where we wish we could lasso time and dole it out in smaller increments. You know, slow this train down a bit. Time doesn’t stand around and wait on us to find the courage to begin doing the desires of our heart. The sun still rises and sets every single day and what we do in between is the life we create.

Deep thinking but not profound revelation. It is a very simple concept. The responsibility of how we sculpture our lives lands solely on each one of us as individuals at the end of each day. The truth is life really is a tiny mist of vapor. I love how the Passion Translation of the bible states it :

James 4:14 But you don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring. For your fleeting life is but a warm breath of air that is visible in the cold only for a moment and then vanishes!

It doesn’t take long to get motivated if you let those words penetrate your soul. The definition of the word fleeting does it for me. It means a short time or passing quickly. I am sure you get my point. SO where and how do we find the courage to consider these “fleeting” lives a true piece of art? A canvas that hasn’t been completely painted? A book that has the best chapters yet to come? A song with lyrics that one can’t get out of their head after they hear it?

Facebook is great at posting those videos that give glimpses of how we recorded our last few years. The memories remind me of the value of time already spent. Did I live in such a way that another could gain a leg up of encouragement when the going gets rough? Could one glean a ray of hope to keep putting one foot in front of the other by the way I have chosen to use my fleeting moment?

Here’s the deal. No one can do it for us. WE HAVE TO CREATE THE SPACE TO BECOME WHO WE ARE INTENDED TO BE ON THIS EARTH. For example, Thursday’s have become my favorite day. It has taken me several years to strategically create an entire day to designate as my own day to challenge my creative genes. I finally have a voice to say to the world “THIS IS MY DAY!” The seasons of raising children and full time work have now been completed. The entrepreneurial spirit within me has worked hard to build an income and be my own boss. There is nothing that can lend more freedom than being in control of your own time. There is also nothing that can be more challenging than learning to steward that time for its most productive potential. The learning curve is like a roller coaster with huge lows in the dips and big highs on the mountaintops. I certainly have not always stayed steady on the course but keeping a forward focus has been a key player in creating that space.

You see, when you begin to “LOOK” at that constant knocking of creativity in your heart, something magical happens. It unveils itself and begins to take up residence in your soul. The more you look at it the more it grows. A dream will respond much like a plant that flourishes under a gardeners nurturing hand. It’s very important the words spoken over a desire are positive because they are like food to its roots.

I leave you with these words of encouragement. Open the door to that constant knock of desire in your soul. Look through the peephole at the very least to see the grand thing waiting to enter into your life. Take a good “LOOK” at it! Everyone has something and it’s never too late to breathe it into existence. Furthermore, understand that EVERY day should be pointed toward a purpose because this is YOUR vapor. Make it count! Lives lived with intention are full of joy, peace, and fulfillment. They make it possible for us to

ENJOY THE JOURNEY – VB

PS….Dan Miller continues to have a large impact on my journey. Listen to some of his podcasts and explore the website!

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Collect Perfect Moments

So here we are! The very end of the weirdest year ever! Or is it?

It is true that conditions have been different and challenging. It hasn’t all been good but it certainly hasn’t all been bad. I know several folks who have had a most successful year. Some folks used the isolation from society as an opportunity to introspect and find those crevices within that could use some personal development. Others STARTED new businesses in the middle of a global shutdown! Some folks have endured extreme heartache and difficulty. Some have had to face unbelievable health challenges and even death all alone. A huge segment of people stayed glued to the news and let “the numbers” become a part of daily living. Then there are the heroes of healthcare and transportation who worked endless and grueling hours. Emotion builds in my heart as I write that sentence. They really are heroes. I give them honor today for the courage, bravery and stamina it takes to be on the front line.

Most of us have been forced to change the way we do things but can we “really” pin it as the weirdest year ever? I confront us with this question only to encourage a new mindset.

The picture you see above is a gift from a very good friend who had a memento made using one of my daily practices. I have collected “Perfect Moments” for years. I promise when you start actively seeking a perfect moment, it will not fail to show up. Let me assure you that a perfect moment is not the same as an extravagant moment. Extravagant moments are well commended but not near as frequent. A perfect moment is quite simple. It is that first sip of morning coffee, a lyric in a song that grabs your attention, a baby’s laugh, a breath of fresh air after (or during) a rain, the sound of thunder, a phone call from your child, a text from a friend, a pet that meets you at the door, etc. The list can go on and on!The point is when you become a constant seeker for a perfect moment – a positive mindset begins to shift your future into a different lane. A lane of peace and joy and ultimately – opportunity. Your days have more sunshine and your nights have more dreams! I know it sounds too simple and a bit quirky but that is pretty much me in a nutshell – quirky enough to pull the gold out of otherwise dismal circumstances and simple enough to let go of the things I cannot control anyway.

We are closing 2020 and opening 2021. A new year gives us the opportunity to set new goals and even restore hope where hope has been lost. However, don’t get locked into the numbers that fill the boxes on the thing called the calendar. It may help organize our lives and manage the time between sunrise and sunset BUT time will pass anyway no matter how we fill our days. Time will and can heal those places in the heart with open wounds of the past or present.

I agree with Linda Ellis who wrote “The Dash Poem”

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning… to the end.

He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth and now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own, the cars… the house… the cash. What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard; are there things you’d like to change? For you never know how much time is left that still can be rearranged.

To be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile… remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you lived your dash?

I leave you with this encouragement my friends. Peer into the hidden corners of each day and collect some perfect moments. Let them saturate the memories in your mind so they’re available to retrieve at any time. Keep a journal to help you reflect. When the calendar tells us another year has passed – we may conclude that it really wasn’t as weird as it seemed! Writing this blog has been a “Perfect Moment” for sure. Have a fabulous NEW YEAR and by all means

ENJOY THE JOURNEY – VB

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Pursue WHOLENESS

In today’s culture it is of the utmost importance to intentionally pursue wholeness.

We are in full swing of holiday activities, political unrest, and pandemic instructions. Things couldn’t be more exciting or more uncertain. The media offers stress with just one click on your electronic device. One click usually leads to two clicks and before you know it you have been successfully submersed in 30 minutes of information overload. Information for circumstances that you have absolutely no control. Yet the rest of the day you will be left pondering the information. Furthermore, nearly every person in your path will mention their own stress and opinions on the matters within a few seconds of a casual conversation.

Without even knowing it we build internal stress structures. Over time the accumulation of stress causes our bodies to remain in constant fight or flight mode. These days it doesn’t take long to get there. A common phrase is “if there could only be another me, maybe I could complete everything on the daily “to-do” list”.

Well, it isn’t uncommon to find yourself divided into many parts. Parts that represent your past, your present and your future. If you really slow down enough to thoughtfully examine your own behaviors, stress levels, and daily routines, you may find that there REALLY ARE several versions of you accommodating each day! It is no wonder we long to get away in front of the television with our favorite show or consume the drinks, food or medication that calm the internal beast.

I believe women are worse then men regarding the many identities we try to hold up. Especially in the current culture of singleness and singleness with children to raise. In general it seems that men are better at staying to the course of their purpose. Women are wired to “save the world”. We are naturally doers and nurturers.

While I love the empathetic, compassionate and loving part of myself – there came a time that I hit the wall (so to speak). I was running so fast and wearing so many hats, I seldom stopped to make sure I was still breathing.

Let me tell you from personal experience – when your body and mind can’t run anymore, they will stop! Right there in your current tracks you will find yourself unable to function. I can honestly say I have never been more afraid than I was when the overload happened. I could not get control of my emotions. They were running on their own. (story is here) Physical exhaustion was beyond getting out of bed.

Some people hit a wall of anxiety and racing thoughts. I had thoughts of “nothingness” . I wanted to slip into a cave and sleep the world away. It can be very hard to crawl out of such a pit of despair. The mental and physical load on the journey to wholeness is overbearing. Becoming whole is the best and the more difficult of our two options at that point in time. We either succumb to wholeness or fall down the pit of depression. My decision and commitment to pursue wellness came when my counselor asked me to define wholeness.

One of my favorite authors is Matthew Kelly. I found my destination to pursue in his book “RESISTING HAPPINESS” .

WHOLENESS

The sense that my life is One – not many parts or many compartments, but one loving, breathing, ordered life. In the midst of the search for wholeness – two good things remain; my desire to be whole and the voice that can lead me to wholeness.

Wholeness allows me to embrace who I am and at the same time strive to achieve all I am capable of achieving and become all I am capable of becoming. Being content with who I am today and improving myself for tomorrow.

I believe wholeness is attained when we find the delicate balance that allows both to coexist.

I leave you with this word of encouragement. Don’t wait for your own “hit the wall” experience. Begin to listen to the “voice” of Wisdom that resides outside of the wilderness. Start stepping toward your own definition of wholeness and pull the fragments of yourself together. You are important! Wrap this year up in a huge present of time and attention to yourself. Pursue wholeness and by all means

ENJOY THE JOURNEY – VB

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THE FAMILY GATHERING

The Family Gathering

Thanksgiving and Christmas are quickly approaching along with the dilemmas and excitement of the family gathering. There is certainly a pile of other issues to occupy our minds from a national and global level. However, the family gathering scales it back to the tiny spaces we occupy in our homes. The expectation of the troops coming home for the holiday can bring excitement as well as apprehension. It just depends on who you are and what is trending in your family dynamics.

I recently heard a podcast that addressed the topic of properly “expressing our emotions”.

I found it most interesting because many of us don’t know HOW to properly express emotions. I was over 50 years old before I figured out that I had never been taught to express feelings. We simply learn to function in the environments in which we are born.

Some folks are very emotionally healthy if they have been fortunate enough to be in a family that has overcome their own obstacles of dysfunction. I was not that person so it took intentional effort on my part to make it happen. I am sure glad I made that decision because ultimately it will break a weak link of bad behavior in the generations to come. Furthermore, prayerfully it will also make for more pleasant holidays in the future!

Although my intentions and expectations have been positive, our family has not been exempt from stress-charged atmospheres when we have come together through the years. My own emotional healing has recently helped diffuse some situations and open my heart to understanding others a bit better.

You see, suppressing our own emotions leaves us with another rock stacked on the existing pile of debris labeled “unworthiness”. I sat under that pile of dung for many years. It literally strangled me by the throat when emotions would try to surface. I did not know how to express them whether they were good or bad. This had positioned me in a “victim mentality “ when others would appropriately or inappropriately express their feelings.

I truly believed everything was my fault when chaos broke out. As a child, the condemnation manifested itself as fear. Adulthood brought a belief system that had been so altered by fear that my emotional behaviors were very shallow. My walls of protection had been strategically built around my internal emotional structure to a point that I was in my own self-made prison.

I remember the day my counselor made the suggestion of living without my well-built wall of protection. Initially, the idea seemed absurd. Something I could not even imagine. I eventually succumbed to the idea and I broke out of that prison.

I leave you with this word of encouragement. If you can relate to this part of my story, choose this time of the year to make the decision to break down the prison walls. The one thing I can tell you for sure is YOU may be the CHANGE your family has long-awaited. The dynamics change when you begin to model something different.

Most importantly – you will not store the toxic sludge of suppressed emotions. You will politely exchange the false burdens of someone else’s bad behavior to maintain your internal peace. Your load will be lighter and you will be able to focus on the main thing. THE FAMILY GATHERING! We are in uncertain days. We must

ENJOY THE JOURNEY – VB

(read the whole story)

Escape from Darkness Bookcover looking out of the dark forest into the light
Escape from Darkness

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Time Will Not Delay

My office floods with early morning sunlight when the time “falls back” for the Autumn/Winter season. I lift the window just enough to feel a slight breeze and hear the morning song of the birds as it travels across the trees. The trees are now letting go of their leaves that once thrived during the summer season. It speaks to me, time will not delay.

Our lives move through these same seasons. There are days where the sun shines brightly yet seems to set quickly. There are days where darkness looms as it will never end. There are days of extreme light when joy is abundant and we celebrate victories.

I write a lot about time because it is the most valuable commodity in our lives. This little excerpt says it well: The concept of time is elusive because, well, it stands still for no man. It is the life currency that you can never regain after “spending” it. https://simplyshredded.com/the-currency-of-time-lifes-most-precious-commodity.html

I can feel the winds of change as surely as I feel the breeze moving through this room. It reminds me of the importance of “holding things loosely”.

I received the news a year ago in July that one of my best friends of 20 years had been killed in a car accident. I had just seen her a few weeks before as she was getting in her car to leave my house. She waved goodbye, flashed her beautiful smile, and blew me a kiss. She was one of the most talented vocalists I have ever heard in my life. We had plans to do her first recording in our studio the following August. How do we even consider holding these relationships loosely? Yet we must also hold the regrets of the past even more loosely. Neither of them is to be held as ours.

Her life and her early exit from this earth only made me question the element of time even more deeply. We did delay but time did not. We delayed in simply putting that date on the calendar to archive a voice that many of us now long to hear just once more. In the 20 years, she and I spent as friends and music partners – we could not find one recording of her to play at her funeral. Emotions sit right on the surface as I write this because the importance of the message burns with passion in my heart. Her death caused a paradigm shift in the atmosphere of my world. I HAD to move with the shift even though my heart wanted to sit down and find all the seemingly good reasons to quit.

The momentum of the world we live in today is like a raging river. It is fast and furious yet slow and attentive. How do we manage to catch the wave that catapults us to the changes we desire and sit on the beach and breathe in every single moment at the same time? Where is that perfect balance? Is it even possible? I look at the aging of my own body and retrace the footsteps of my life and think “oh how quickly things move.” Events like the death of a loved one can shake your world and bring up many questions. Questions that are worthy of an answer.

We must find resolve in our hearts to bring us to the point of stepping out on the limb of courage to face our fears and annihilate our own procrastination. Just do it even if you’re scared. Even if it’s not perfect. Death will be the final seed we are allowed to contribute but life offers a beautiful window of time. The seeds we have planted on our journey will someday be watered by other sojourners walking their road of destiny. May we learn to plant those seeds, enjoy the growth they give us, and walk on toward those things that await our arrival.

While my friend’s voice was put to rest that day, her daughter stepped into her mother’s legacy and blessed us all with a song. My friend didn’t get to do all that we had planned for her but nonetheless, those seeds from her gift are firmly planted on this earth and will grow no matter what. Just imagine what we can do by simply being a little more intentional with our time.

I leave you with this encouragement. Don’t let time slip away. Get up and look at the sunrise and announce to the world that YOU WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE today and every day hereafter. Hold loosely to those things which will inevitably change as time goes on. Love deeply and on purpose. Move with the changes in your life. Finally, make this holiday season so great that those close to you will forever hold it in their memory bank just like I hold the memory of my friend’s final wave, kiss, and unforgettable smile. I am here to tell you- IT IS WORTH IT!

Enjoy the Journey – VB

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Are you in position?

The above pictures remind me of how one single day can hold a lesson for life and help us ponder the question “Are you in Position”?

We are quickly approaching the official holiday season. I think it is safe to say that most of us will gladly kiss 2020 goodbye and put it in our rearview mirror. It seems the year has slowly flown by us. Sometimes leaving us in a trail of dust and other times leaving us to feel like we are standing knee-deep in stagnant waters.

The year has certainly offered its challenges but it has also given us a great opportunity to RESET and become positioned for a new day. There are 77 days left until the calendar offers a reason to refresh our goals and look forward to a new horizon. We can ask ourselves these questions? What are we going to do with those 77 days? Are they going to slowly fly by us or are we going to “flow with them” onto new roads that lead to our real dreams?

Did you know that those dreams and desires are put there as a guide to take you to your purpose? They aren’t just some silly thoughts that are passing through your head. Beneath those dreams of yours are gifts and talents that will prove to be tools and vehicles to take you to a place of your divine purpose on this earth. Believe it or not – we are meant to enjoy each day to its fullest. What we lay our hands to should seem like anything but work!

One can not settle for looking at the world through the windows of the soul and deciding “this is it”. There is so much more beyond what you can see with your naked eye.

It has been 5 years since a motorcycle accident shook my perspective of life to the core. The recovery time forced me into a place of self-introspection and prioritization. I came to realize that most of what kept me so busy had nothing to do with my dreams. Since then I have not talked to one person who had a near-death experience that didn’t tell me the same thing.

The physical recovery from many broken bones and the trauma of being hit head-on from a car (pictured behind the wrecked bike) was certainly difficult; however, the shift in understanding the importance of living each day in the joy of taking my position on this earth at this particular time presented a much more thoughtful journey. Sometimes I sense standing in the light after coming out of a long twisty journey from the woods. There are different paths that lay before me but some of them illuminate slightly above the others. As I set my foot on those predestined paths I cannot help but wonder if I’m even equipped to walk on these roads less traveled. Yet the desire to reach the pinnacle is much greater than the fear that could hold me buried in the mud of complacency.

I leave you with this encouragement:

Are you happy with your current position? Do you need to explore different options? Do you need to do a “clutter cleanse” from your daily schedule?

I encourage you to spend the days ahead looking beyond the boundaries of your natural vision and grasp the possibility of the dream that lies in your heart. There is no one else on earth who can fill your position. I promise.

Enjoy the Journey – VB

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Make the Change

We have recently decided that a “date morning” actually works better for us than a “date night” . Date night had become more like a battle to see which one of us could stay awake until 9 PM. I usually lose those battles. I am the person who seldom makes it through the first 10 minutes of a movie! Especially if there is a bowl of popcorn and fuzzy blanket involved. Since there really is no “date night” police that say you HAVE to keep doing the same thing for 15 years, we have chosen to spend one morning a week together doing the things we enjoy the most.

This week found us at the shooting range shortly after sunrise. I brought the coffee and homemade breakfast biscuits. He brought the guns. Much like golf – it requires focus and aim. These are two places in my own personal development that need my utmost attention. If focus and aim are sharp, there is nothing you cannot do. I began to set up our little camp and he went to hang the targets. The picture I caught out of the corner of my eye stopped me in my tracks. The sunlight was streaming between the trees onto the morning dew which held the tracks of his footsteps behind him. I watched him as he walked away from me with tears pushing to the surface of my eyelids. It was certainly a perfect moment that I will forever cherish in my heart. I thought to myself “ I would follow those footsteps anywhere”.

Our 15th anniversary is in a few months. We have LIVED OUT LOUD those entire 15 years. There have been some outstanding vacations such as New Zealand and Ireland. Our plans for Greece were held up by the events of 2020 but its on the agenda. There have been the trials and errors of knowing each other better and the heartaches of failures along with the rejoicing of victories. At the core of my being…..I trust him with my life. He’s proven his love over and over again. He has supported me through the dark corridors of my past and propped me up when my bones were too broken to even help myself. Our relationship has now been through the seasons enough so much that we know when there is a need for a change or demand to adjust.

I thought to myself – there is no value to be put on this moment. It is the seasons of life that have brought us to this beautiful time. I shook myself out of the moment and snapped a picture of him walking toward me. Both views held the same integrity, strength and love of this extraordinary person who I am blessed to know as my husband. We have grown together as one. It took time, patience, understanding and willingness. The foundation we have built under our relationship will likely resist anything that tries to comes against it.

Recent days have found me focusing on a new exercise right before I close my eyes at night. I reflect on the day and thoughtfully express my gratitude for such an abundant life as well as all the people that surround it. Sleep usually invades before I finish.

I leave you with this encouragement. Making the change in that place that needs an adjustment may very well thrust you into a whole new season that is anxiously waiting your arrival! It’s just around the curve. Where your eyes are focused is where you will inevitably arrive. MAKE THE CHANGE!!

Enjoy the Journey – VB

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Follow The Poinsettia

According to the calendar, fall has officially made its entrance. It still amazes me to watch nature adjust to the changing seasons. The sun takes longer to wake up. I already miss the early morning on the deck. I personally had to adjust to being in my office to write this morning because it’s too DARK outside to see. I spent last weekend taking care of the summer plants that provided so much enjoyment the last several months. I couldn’t help but reflect on the Poinsettia. They hold so much significance. The picture above is one of my favorites. This was taken in early spring. This plant was on its second year of blooming. It faithfully displayed its red leaves for the Christmas season and held on to them through spring. The latter part of spring found it dropping the red leaves and moving into a time of complete nakedness. I remember my concern the first time the plant started losing its leaves. I thought it was surely meeting its fate. It was telling me it was its season to prepare for the sunshine. The poinsettia will thrive during the summer months UNTIL the fall. Much to my surprise it began to regenerate new and deep green leaves in the places of barrenness during its time on the deck through the summer. This allowed it to store up its strength in the new and healthy leaves. The stems became much hardier and the plant grew in stature. It uses the new storage of strength to endure upcoming season of darkness.

In a few weeks I will move it into the closet where it will spend at least 13 hours a day in total darkness for the next few months. The shortened hours of light and increased time spent in the dark will prepare it for the beauty of the bloom. The time in isolation will prepare it for the deadline it has to meet. The deadline is its predestined purpose it has to fulfill. December will find poinsettias displaying their splendor of color in stores, greenhouses, and many homes. Their season of “being seen” will once again last until spring when they will start the cycle all over again. Each time they gain strength and stature. Their blooms become much larger and more valiant in beauty as they age.

The principle of such a process doesn’t really thrill me but it does make sense. No one really “looks forward to a season of isolation” but if we will take a short time to reflect on those difficult seasons of our lives, we will undoubtedly find that we came out on the other side with a fresh look of new beauty. A beauty that could only be gained in the solitude of refining. It helps to understand that life is a series of eventful growth periods. If we can recognize the season we can make it more productive. If you have found yourself in darkness (especially in 2020) , have no fear. Breathe deep and prepare for the new season that awaits on the horizon. Don’t allow yourself to be slothful with these precious moments of opportunity.

Spend the time of solitude in strength training. Ask yourself the hard questions. What areas of my life need attention? Do I need to “drop some leaves” that no longer serve me? What new things are called to replace the areas of barrenness? Am I prepared to emerge into the light with a humble beauty that is attractive to those around me? Will my time of solitude prove to be a testimony to those who cross my path?

Does grace, humility, and love illuminate from my countenance with each season of my life? And most of all “Am I enjoying the journey?”

I leave you with this encouragement. Explore the process of seasons with your poinsettia! It will quietly show you the many characteristics of life it shares with us. You will find yourself standing taller and stronger and perhaps more beautiful than ever! Folks may just look upon your life and politely ask how you do it? To that you can respond “Follow a Poinsettia”.

Enjoy the Journey – VB

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The Sunrise in Being Grateful

The morning is cool with a very light breeze rustling the soon to be colorful leaves.  Funny how you can actually “feel” a season change even before the real signs of its arrival. There is always that small anticipation from the body itself that looks forward to the new season.  This time of year encourages me to look forward to the perfect hot tea and coffee shop moments.  Those intimate conversations with friends that enhance the relationship and helps you know them better.  Something about a quaint coffee shop makes that possible. 

I took this picture last weekend driving down the interstate. I was on my way home from a fabulous weekend stay with my son and grandson. My thoughts were steeped in gratefulness as the sun began to peek above the horizon in front of me. What had started as a tiny light looking over a hill suddenly become a huge ball of fire that pushed all darkness out of the way. A new day had begun.

4 AM found me wide awake and pondering the extreme importance of gratefulness.  There is a power to change the trajectory of our lives that accompanies the attitude of gratefulness. 

Turning our affections toward those things in our lives which truly matter will catapult us into a place of joy and peace. Joy and peace moves us forward to hope and hope changes to faith.  Faith as we know moves the mountain in front of us.  It is an amazing process that begins with gratefulness.

Being grateful is simply a choice to be made before your feet hit the floor in the morning or your head rests on the pillow for the night.  The morning is a perfect time to announce out loud the things you for which you are grateful.  Right before bedtime is also a sweet time to reflect on the day and the NEW things that have presented themselves as grateful opportunities.  This undoubtedly puts one in a positive cycle toward their current season. 

I know of a man that spent an entire year writing in a “grateful” journal to give his wife on their 40th wedding anniversary.  His testimony was one of the most impactful stories I have ever read.  Each day he made a mental note of the things she did that he was grateful.  His love and appreciation for her deepened to a much higher level. He said the things he had grown to see in her as faults dissipated and her deeper beauty became his total focus.   It was certainly an intentional move on his part which raised their quality of life.  They are very influential folks and their grateful and blessed lives began to expand on a much wider territory.  He explained his attitude toward his wife became reciprocal between them and brought a unity in their marriage that could face any mountain of resistance that entered their path. They spend their days LOOKING for the blessings in the little things of daily life.

I leave you with this encouragement. Human nature will often lend itself to the negative moments.  There is certainly enough negative attitudes in the world today.  Choose to be someone different starting today. Become a “grateful guru”.  Be on the lookout for the things you can jot down in your new GRATEFUL JOURNAL. I predict each day  will begin to look brighter than the day before and a new cycle of promise and hope will usher in a brand new season of life. I even challenge you to take it one step further and exercise your faith muscle. Learn to become grateful for those things that have not yet happened! A new expectation will begin to develop that may keep you on the edge of your seat waiting for the arrival of things still unseen. As the sunshine peeks over the mountaintop every single morning, so will your faith, joy, and peace arise each day when you open your eyes. May your days be filled with sunshine.

Enjoy the Journey – VB

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Are you facing a mountain?

Are you facing a mountain?

The morning rain and cooler temperatures seem to be ushering in the fall season. I woke early and lowered the window in my office so I could hear the falling rain. Combine that with the “fake” fireplace and the usual stillness of the morning and one could say they have entered into a perfect moment of peace. I am also exploring a new coffee infused with lion’s mane and Chaga mushrooms. Avid coffee drinkers will share my bliss.

Ultimately, we are all creatures of habit whether it be the routines of morning coffee or evening sleep preparation. It’s important to change it up once in a while just for the fun of it.

Nevertheless, that space remains between morning and evening that can present uncharted territory. While it may be mostly routine, it can also hold the unexpected. That thing we are just not ready to receive. I call it the “mountain that suddenly appears”.

Did you know that sometimes it takes a mountain to strengthen our faith? It seems 2020 has been full of these so-called mountains. I suppose we could view the mountain of resistance as a training tool instead of an obstacle. Obstacles are stubborn and take much effort to move. Training tools are approached with excitement because the master of that tool knows its potential to create new and better circumstances. I am intrigued that Jesus said it only takes faith as small as a mustard seed to make that mountain move from one place to another.

Imagine this. You are on a journey and you know your exact destination. Nothing is going to stop you. Not even a mountain. You have seen these mountains before and you know how to make them move. You think back to your younger days when a mountain posed as discouragement and delay. It seemed too large to battle so you simply changed your course to avoid such a thing. There was also a time when climbing the giant opposition seemed like a good option. There was even a time you gathered all of your friends and their shovels and it became a community excavation project.

The season has changed. It’s different now because you are wiser, stronger, and focused. Your eyes are set like flint on the destination of your purpose, and NOTHING will stop you. Your body is conditioned and your mind is aware of the importance of your value to this world. You pull out your mustard seed of faith and tell that mountain to step aside because you are coming through. Opportunities are waiting for your arrival.

Just writing that gets me excited! My husband and I played my very first game of golf this week. Some of it was comical, to say the least, BUT my mind reeled with revelation as we made our way through the nine holes.

First of all, it’s a process. We started at “HOLE 1 and ended at HOLE 9. We knew exactly where we were going. The flags marked the spot of the tiny little target that held the victory. I seemed to have more trouble hitting the target when we reached the smooth terrain of the green. It required much more focus, skill, and calculation of strength and accuracy than the terrain outside of the target. I also successfully plummeted a few balls into oblivion. However, in the search through the water and the weeds for my own golf ball, I found a pocket full of balls that were previous victims of missed targets from fellow travelers.

I leave you with this encouragement. The seasons of life are kind of like a game of golf. They are a process that includes mountains of resistance. Find that flag out there with your name on it and head in that direction. Know that you may get lost sometimes but have no fear – someone else before you has been lost too. They left provisions to get you further down the road to success. Your faith will steer you through the roughest terrain but your discipline to focus and refine will be needed at the pinnacle. Use this season to conquer your mountain because others are following in your footsteps.

Enjoy the Journey – VB

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