If Only...

If only I had more time...

If only I wasn't so busy...

If only I wasn't so tired...

If only my kids would get along with each other...

If only my kids would listen to me...

If only I had more money...

If only I knew more people...

If only I knew the "right" people...

If only I had a better job...

If only I was good at sewing/drawing/acting/singing/playing a sport/dancing/cooking...

If only...

What to know the TRUTH?
Those are all pretty much EXCUSES.
And guess what?  Excuses get you no where.
So stop making them.

Tough love :)

You will NEVER have more time, not really.  We all get 24 hours in a day.  We get to CHOOSE how to use that time.  We get to say YES or NO to anything we want.  Really, it IS up to us.  We do get to decide.  And if something is truly important to you, you CAN do it.  You will MAKE time for it.

If you want to work out and exercise, then get up 30 minutes early.  Use nap time.  Go to the gym instead of watching a show at night.  Whatever works for you and your life/schedule.  But if health is important and you want to work out/exercise, you CAN do it.  And when you do, you will feel great!

Life is busy.  I get it.  I have 4 young girls.  My husband and I are leaders at our church - on the elder board, direct the Kids Ministry, etc.  We have a Bible study at our house on Sunday evenings.  My husband does an after school program once a week with the 5th grade boys where he teaches.  I run a health and wellness business, teach childbirth class, and am a doula. We serve at a Bible camp in the summer.  So, I get busy.  Really, I do.

I get tired too.  My youngest is 5 months old, and does NOT sleep through the night.  Heck, she barely sleeps unless I am holding her.  I am NOT well rested most days, but this is a season of life.  One I will gladly take, seeing as how I dreamed of being a mom and now I am one.  Lack of sleep comes with the "job." I would rather be exhausted and have the title of MOM than be full of energy yet longing for children of my own.  I may not like the messes, endless laundry, or whatever else comes with being a mom, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I think being a mom is tricky.  We pour ourselves out for our families, yet we forget that we NEED to take care of ourselves to be the best wife and mom we can be.  Not only do we drink cold coffee and eat cold food, standing up, holding a baby on our hip, we also tend to put our dreams on the back burner.  Don't get me wrong - we love being a mom, but SOMETIMES in that process, we lose passion and our lack of purpose.

I want you to know several things today:
*God loves you.
*God SEES you, and all those diapers you change, those noses you wipe, the toilets you clean, the clothes you wash, the meals you prepare, the messes you pick up, the fights you break up, and the ouchies you kiss.  And He is PLEASED with you.  He DELIGHTS in you.
*You have purpose and worth.  You are valuable, precious, a MASTERPIECE.
*God created you for a reason.  He has plans for you and wants you to fulfill them, bringing glory to His name as you expand His kingdom here on earth.
*He gives you permission to pursue those dreams.  He is the One who put them on your heart.  And He WILL help you do them, whatever they may be!

Don't make excuses about why you can't do those things.
Excuses get you no where.

Do be realistic.
But also be bold and daring.
Try NEW things.
Think outside the box.
Take risks.
Be different.
Be YOU.
Use those gifts and abilities God has given you.
He made you with them for a reason.
The world NEEDS you to use them.

Saying YES to God can be scary.
You don't know all the answers.
You don't have all the details or know every step that will be part of your journey.

But I assure you that holding back, playing it safe, staying put, waiting it out gets you no where.
So, no more excuses!

You may start small, but START.
Read a book.
Write in a journal.
Make a dream board.
Get a plan.
Pray over it all.
Ask God to show you what to do and how to do it.
Then, as He opens doors, WALK THROUGH THEM.

I don't want you to look back on your life and say, "If only..."

If only I had talked to that person...

If only I had taken that art class...

If only I had traveled to see the world...

If only I had supported that ministry...

If only I had spoken up...

I don't want IF ONLY to define you. Or me.
Instead, I want to be passionate and purposeful about the time I have been given on this earth.  I want to make the most of every single day.  Hence, TODAY I sat down and wrote this blog.  I dream of being an author, of speaking on a stage and encouraging others to live out the good works God has prepared in advance for them to do.  Well, that isn't going to happen if I keep saying, "If only I had more time to blog..."

I don't know what GOD is calling YOU to do.
I don't know WHO God is calling you to BE.
I do know He IS talking to you.
Are you listening?
Are you ready to follow after Him as He shows you the way He has for you?
Are you willing to trust that He has the BEST plans for you?

Then, no more IF ONLY's.
Instead, let's be men and women who are known as those who RISE UP and say HERE I AM, LORD.  May we be the ones shouting with excitement (or whispering as we tremble in fear of the unknown), "Use ME! I am Yours. Take my life and use it for YOUR glory..."

Don't start with the...

If only I was qualified...
If only I had more education...
If only I felt like I was good at that...
If only I knew more about that...
If only I had more traning...

No. NOPE.
Throw all those IF ONLY's in the trash.
God uses ANYONE who is WILLING.

His strength shines through our weakness.
So, let's do this!
TODAY is the day!!!!!