Made for MORE

I used to see book covers like this and cringe.  I was immediately skeptical.  I assumed the author was preaching a "health and wealth gospel."

I haven't read this book, so I don't really know what Curtis Martin has to say about discovering the life God created you to live, or how he suggests you go about making that discovery.

I haven't read Jim Cymbala's book either.  So, I don't know what his take is on the life you have and the life God wants you to have.  I am sure he does an excellent job explaining the difference and shows how we can go about changing the way we look at life and thus how we live life.  I believe I have read his other book (one of them at least) Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire and was impressed with his thoughts and agreed with his theology.

If I didn't like to read, I could watch this DVD series by Barb Larson and learn how to embrace all God has made me to be.  Haven't taken the time to do that, but maybe I should.  Maybe I shouldn't pre-judge what Larson has to say.  Maybe I shouldn't assume I know what her approach is to living life.  I don't even know who she is, so why should I put her, or her ideas, in a box.  I shouldn't.  That's my point!

I feel like I have put myself in a box, actually.  I think I have listened to what I thought was truth, but am coming to realize might have been lies that the Enemy disguised extremely well.  He's good at that.  Very, VERY good.  As the apostle John wrote, "Why can't you understand what I am saying?  It's because you can't even hear me!!  For you are children of your father the devil, and  you love to do the evil things he does.  He was a murderer from the beginning.  He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him.  When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is the father of lies.  So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don't believe me!" (Jn 8:43-45)

I think we have the same problem today as John did thousands of years ago.  We don't readily listen to or accept the truth because we have been tricked and deceived.  We simply don't realize our mistake.  And it's a grave one, I'm afraid.

You see, Satan doesn't "just" lie to us.  That's only the beginning.  His purpose, his end goal is to "steal, kill, and destroy." (Jn 10:10)

Thus, when we believe his lies, however unsuspecting we may be, we are forfeiting the life God has for us.  As we exchange the truth of God for Satan's lies, we start to die inside (even if we don't realize that's happening - it is).  We totally miss out on the "rich and satisfying life" God wants for us (again John 10:10).

When I hear someone tell me, "You are made for more," I am hesitant to believe them.

No, I'm not. 
I'm not anyone special.
I don't deserve that kind of life.
I'm being selfish.

Lies!  All of them.

God's been helping me open my eyes and my ears.  He's helping me realize how many lies I have been believing.  He's helping me learn to see and listen all over again.  This time to HIM, to HIS WORD, to the true TRUTH.  I've written several blogs in the past couple moths about this matter, actually.  So, you would think I would have grasped the concept already, but apparently, I am a tough cookie.  I have a hard head and I guess I need the truth drilled into me again and again and again.

Maybe I need to read Liar, Liar Pants on Fire

Or perhaps I should look over You're Asking the Wrong Questions

I might have to skim Why Not You? again too

Then, there was the one I wrote about Guilty Pleasures.  That is probably worth reading once more.

See what I mean?!  God is trying to get His point across.  The problem isn't Him.  It's me.  It's that I have become so accustomed to what I thought was truth that I am blinded to the actual TRUTH.

But, as I said, God is persistent.  He Himself cannot lie and doesn't want me believing Satan's lies any more.  He is my heavenly Father and wants what is best for me.  He will not stand by while the devil attempts to lead me astray.  Not only is he teaching me the TRUTH, but He is teaching me to LISTEN to the right voice.  And slowly, but surely, I am learning to listen to Jesus and not Satan.

So, what is Jesus telling me?
What is He telling YOU?

 
I seriously think I need to look into this book study by Jennie Allen.  Maybe God is trying to speak through her to help me, to help YOU.

I'm not preaching a health and wealth gospel.  I'm not telling you that God will give you whatever you want, that you will have lots of money, that you will never get sick or face hardship of any kind, that everything you touch will turn to gold, that everything you do will prosper like crazy.  That's not the truth, at least not God's truth.

I'm also not telling you that God doesn't want to bless you, that He doesn't want to give you good things, that He doesn't want you to be happy, that He doesn't want you to enjoy life to the fullest.  BECAUSE HE DOES. Boy, does He!!!

Take a look back at what I had to say about that in the post Whatever Your Little Heart Desires.

We need to remember this:

And that, dear precious child of God, is why God doesn't give us everything we want.  Instead, He helps us learn to WANT HIM above all else.  For only as we fill our hearts with HIM first will we truly appreciate the blessings He has for us.

As we seek God and delight in Him, God DOES give us the desires of our heart.  What I am coming to realize is that those desires are not wrong or selfish.  It's not bad of me to want to enjoy life.  It's not wrong to want to travel.  It's not selfish either.  These dreams I have had as of late are not "guilty pleasures."  That's what Satan wants me to believe.  But, he's a liar out to steal, kill, and destroy.  I must remember my dreams are from GOD Himself.  These dreams take my gaze and turn it heavenward.  They cause me to long for something better.  They stir within me a yearning for God and for His kingdom and for His will to be done here on earth.  Not later.  NOW.

And so, I will keep dreaming and praying even bigger.

Those dreams and prayers involve It Works.  I can't get around that.  As you see my posts and read my blogs and what not, please remember that as I talk about money, I have not fallen in love with wealth.  Also keep in mind what I shared the other day:

We had our first Financial Peace University Class tonight, and my heart is about to explode. So many things that Dave Ramsey said (on the video, because he didn't actually come in person to teach the class) resonated with what God has been speaking to me in my heart as I travel this crazy It Works journey. 

Money is not evil. The Bible says the LOVE of money is the root of evil. Money itself is amoral.

It's what you do with the money. It's how you feel about money. The only difference between saving and hoarding is attitude.

Imagine what would happen in the Kingdom of God if the people of God were debt free?!

If you are debt free and can save, you can do more, live more, be more, GIVE more!

If you don't use God's resources and forfeit that, you are handing those resources over to the enemy! That one got me!!!

I remember at Conference several people said something along the lines of, "Someone is going to make the money. Why not let it be the "good" people?" or "God wants the money in the hands of those who will use it well." At first I thought this sounded like a "health and wealth gospel," which I am NOT for because I don't think that is biblical. BUT, I do think God has called us to be His hands and feet, to love others, to make a difference. And while that doesn't always require money (or at least not very much of it), it often DOES require money (and sometimes a lot -- like adopting a child for $30,000 or going on a mission trip or sponsoring a child or paying for someone's medical bills or whatever God may call you to do).

SO, imagine what would happen in the Kingdom of God if the people of God were debt free?!!! Think about how much more money we could give. Think about how we would have the freedom of time to take off work and go overseas or across the street for a week trip. Think about the ways we could LIVE more, DO more, BE more, and GIVE more!

That is what is overflowing from my heart of hearts tonight.

Apparently, my heart was super full, because I went on to say this:

It's not wrong or bad or selfish to be rich IF you turn around and use what GOD has given you for HIS glory and His Kingdom work. It's even okay to travel and enjoy the world God made and praise Him for the beauty of His creation. That's honoring to Him. AND it's good to remember that God delights in us. He enjoys blessing us. If we as human parents like to give our kiddos fun things and do fun stuff together, how much more than does our HEAVENLY FATHER find joy in doing those things for us?! I don't think we can comprehend His love and so we resist it. We think it's selfish and bad a d wrong to have money. Again, it's not wrong at all, as long as you use the gifts God has given you for HIS good. It's not about accumulating wealth. It's about making a difference and changing the world. I could go on and on. This has become something I am beginning to be quite passionate about! As I listened to Dave talk last night, I couldn't help but smile and get excited and I felt like my heart was going to burst. He's putting dreams and hopes and desires in my heart that are too big for me alone, but I know that's good. Because only HE can make them happen, and I trust that He will, and then some. Because He's God and is so good at doing beyond what I could ever dream or dare to ask or possibly even imagine. LOVE!

I was moved even more after I read a post from a teammate

and wrote this:

Love, LOVE, love the encouragement and support I get from my It Works team mates. Not only is God doing a work in my heart about money/wealth but also about the "greatness within me" BECAUSE HE IS IN ME. When I put restrictions or limitations on myself, really I am telling GOD He can't do something. And that is down right ridiculous! I am God's MASTERPIECE and He has special, unique plans for me. He's not a ho-hum God so I'm pretty sure His purposes for me aren't ho-hum either! Yes, I may be at home changing diapers and cleaning up messes and doing laundry and all those other mom/wife things. BUT that is HUGE! I am also, I hope, encouraging and inspiring others to live out God's plans for them, whatever they may be. And I am learning to dream big and pray even bigger. I am opening myself up to be used by God however He wants. And that, my friends, is exciting and scary. I don't know all the details (none of us ever do), but I know God is at work in me and He's going to get massive amounts of glory as He does. I would love for you to join me on this adventure and we can pursue God with everything we have TOGETHER!

Psalm 62 is my life verse/passage.  Has been since my senior year of high school.  When I tore cartilage in my knees.  The week of the state track meet.  And couldn't compete.  And then couldn't play volleyball in college because I was doing physical therapy instead.  As God seemed to shatter all my dreams, He was doing a work in my heart.  He was actually replacing my love for sports with a love for HIM.  As a result, I have grown and come to realize that as I make GOD my foundation, I can never be shaken, no matter what life may bring my way.  

I think God is doing a new work in me and giving me a new life verse to add to this one.  He's teaching me that He who is my rock, my fortress, and my salvation is MORE powerful and faithful and good than I could even begin to imagine.  He's showing me that He is capable of so much MORE than I could ever dare to dream.

And as I come to understand God better, I am also beginning to understand His plans for me a bit better too.  I am beginning to believe, truly believe, that I am MADE FOR MORE.

And guess what?

SO ARE YOU!!!!

Dreaming for OTHERS

This morning on K-Love I heard a touching story of a young woman who is living out her childhood dreams.  She's not starring in a movie or walking down any runways or posing for a magazine cover.  She's not a rockstar or an Olympic athlete.  She's not a lawyer or doctor.  She's just 21 years old, so I don't even know if she's finished college yet.  BUT, she IS saving lives.  Lots of them!

When this young woman was a little girl, about 8 years old, she wrote in her journal, "If I could do anything for God I would build an entire village in Africa."  With 3 mission trips under her belt, Cassandra is now in the pre-field stage of becoming a full time missionary to South Africa, where she will be working with families affected by the devastating AIDS epidemic there.  If you want to read the full story about Cassandra, it's quite inspiring!

I was already thinking about dreaming, yet again, when I heard this story on the radio.  I think Cassandra's journey confirms what God was speaking to me in my heart.

You see, for the past couple days I have been focused on the dreams I have for my 3 young girls.  I read a great article today about parenting and being more intentional about raising children who will be happy, successful adults.  I do want my girls to be happy and successful, of course, but more than anything I want them to be women who make a difference in the lives of those around them.  I want them to be women of character, women who love others and show kindness and compassion to even the most "unlovely" of individuals.  I want them to be women who are always on the look out for ways they can bless others, ways they can speak truth into people's lives, ways they can encourage and support and inspire their friends and strangers alike to dream big and get the absolute most out of life each and every day.  The thing is, though, if I want them to be women who do these things, then I need to show them how to be young girls who do these things.  And, as the article reminded me, children often learn much better by watching than by hearing.  They may not remember a single word I say, but I can guarantee you they will remember what I DO.  So, I must teach by example.  If I want them to be that type of woman when they grow up, I need to be that type of woman NOW.  

As I think about the dreams I have for my girls, and how I would do just about anything to help them fulfill their dreams - no matter how wild or crazy they may be - I am realizing it's okay for ME to dream too.

For only as I dream, will my little girls be brave enough to dream.

As I dream and pray and work to make my dreams become a reality, my girls will see that.  They will be part of that.  They will grow up knowing God can do the humanly impossible.  They will grow up knowing God has special plans and purposes for them, plans and purposes that are so much bigger than they can ever imagine.  They will grow up knowing God is at work in and through them.  They will grow up knowing God can use anyone - including THEM - to make His name known and to bring people to Jesus.  They will grow up knowing that living all out for God isn't "safe," but it's the BEST thing to do, the most fulfilling, meaningful thing, the ONLY thing.

So, I ask you today, BEG you really, to DREAM.  Not just regular, run of the mill dreams either.  No, if you are going to dream, you might as well dream BIG.  Bigger than you have ever dreamed before.  So big that your dreams scare you.  Because only then are your dreams beyond what YOU can do and in the realm of what GOD alone can do.  And those kind of dreams bring glory and honor to His name.  Those kind of dreams get people's attention and help them see how truly powerful and amazing and faithful and good and majestic and wonderful God is.  You see, your dreams aren't about you at all.  Hate to burst your bubble.  But really, your dreams are all about GOD.  For He is the One who places those dreams in your heart in the first place.  He is the One who helps you make your dreams come true.  He is the one who gets all the credit when they do.

With this in mind, I ask you once more to DREAM BIG.

If not for yourself, for your children.  And your children's children.

Whatever Your Little Heart Desires

"May He grant your heart's desires and make all your plans succeed." ~Psalm 20:4

I read this verse this morning on my phone as part of a daily devotional I am doing -- Top Verses to Memorize.  I certainly like this verse, or at least what it seems to be promising at first glance.

God will give you whatever you want.  

He will answer every prayer.  

He will fulfill every wish.  

He will make all your plans succeed.  

He will give you the desires of your heart.  

That's what it says, right?

Well, not exactly.

We need to dig just a little deeper to understand what the Psalmist David is saying here.  

Before we jump to any conclusions about having God wrapped around our little fingers, we should probably turn to Psalm 37 and read what David wrote there, too.

"Trust in the Lord and do good.

THEN you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the Lord,

and He will give you your heart's desires.

Commit EVERYTHING you do to the Lord.

TRUST Him, and He will help you.

He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,

and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

BE STILL in the presence of the Lord,

and WAIT PATIENTLY for Him to act.

Don't worry about evil people who prosper

or fret about their wicked schemes."

~Psalm 37:4-7

Did you catch that? 

Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires.

That first little part is rather important.  Let's read it again, just to let it sink in:

TAKE DELIGHT IN THE LORD...

You see, God DOES want to give us the desires of our heart.  But He first wants to be the desire of our heart.  For only as we delight in God and treasure Him and want Him above all else will we truly be satisfied.  If we are looking to the things of the world to make us happy, we are going to be very unhappy indeed.  The world will only fail us.  Sure, we may have fun for awhile.  We may appear to be on top of the world.  We may think we have it all, and then some.  But really, we have nothing if we don't have God first.

Matthew 6:33 reminds us, "Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need."

Jesus gave us a pretty stern warning later in Matthew, "If any of you wants to be My follow, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me.  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it.  And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?  Is anything worth more than your soul?  For the Son of Man will come with His angels in the glory of His Father and will judge all people according to their deeds."

Yeah, Jesus isn't exactly a genie in a bottle that we rub and are granted 3 wishes. 

Thank goodness, though, because I am sure I had more than 3 requests this morning alone.  

And God heard every single one of them, whether I muttered them under my breath or screamed them at the top of my lungs or just thought them in my head.  

While I may not get everything I want, I much prefer a God who listens to everything I say and truly hears what my heart of hearts is really wanting (whether I know it or not)...a relationship with Him, to please Him, to bring Him joy, to glorify and honor His name.  That is after all why I was created...

I tend to forget that quite easily though.  I get caught up in what the world tells me I need, what I should want.  Then I run to God and ask Him for this and beg Him for that.  And I get upset if He doesn't give me the desires of my heart.

Instead, I should be working on the desires of my heart, making sure GOD is my one, sole desire.  That I delight in Him above all.  That I truly want Him more than I want anything else.

Back to David and what he shared with us in Psalm 73:

Whom have I in heaven but You?

I desire You more than anything on earth.

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,

but God remains the strength of my heart;

He is mine forever.

Those who desert Him will perish, 

for You destroy those who abandon You.

But as for me, how good it is to be near God!

I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,

and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things You do.

So while I got excited this morning reading this verse about God granting me the desires of my heart, I was also reminded that God should be my desire.  For only as I put Him first and find satisfaction in Him will my heart's desires be fulfilled.  

Won't you join me?  Together, let's do as David encourages in Psalm 37.  

Let's delight ourselves in the Lord...

And then, my friend, I promise you, God will indeed give you whatever your little heart desires!

What's Your Name?

Coralyn!  Kellah...I mean, Kyiah!  Ugh, whoever you are...

With three girls whose names all start with the C/K sound, I admit I am guilty of calling my children by the wrong name.  And yes, we did the C/K thing on purpose...  And yes, if we have future children, they will most likely have a C/K name (wouldn't want them to feel left out or anything) But even if they all had names with different letters, I am pretty confident I would still get mixed up.  Tell me I'm not the only one!

As I was shaking my head today, after calling my girls by the wrong name yet again, I had this neat thought.  God knows my name and your name and everyone's name.  All 6 billion names of all 6 billion people on earth.  He knows our names because He created each and every person.  Not just that, He hand-crafted us, designing us in a special and unique way.  He has a specific purpose for each and every one of us.  He knows every single detail of our lives, before any of them actually happen.  He knows the number of hairs on our heads.  He knows our wildest dreams and our darkest fears.  So of course He knows our names.

And unlike all earthly parents, He NEVER calls us by the wrong name.  He NEVER gets us mixed up or confused with someone else.  He ALWAYS knows just who we are and just what we need.  He ALWAYS knows our hearts and minds, even when we don't.

Not only does He KNOW our names, but He calls out to us, by name.  He invites us to spend time with Him.  He welcomes us into His presence and delights when we stay there with Him.  As we enter His throne room, He motions to us to come right up to Him.  And so with this strange, bold confidence we go.  We climb up into His lap.  He puts His strong, loving arms around us.  We lay our head on His chest, and then we hear Him whisper our name.  And then, looking us in the eyes, He says our name again and follows it with, "I love you."

Did you hear Him?

Listen again.
God loves YOU!

John 3:16 is a pretty familiar verse.  So much so that we often race over it without stopping to think about the implications for us personally.  Today, I want you to slow it down.  Put YOUR NAME in the blank and read it again, like you've never read it before...

God so loved ___________ that He gave us His only Son that _____________ can believe in Him and not perish but have everlasting life.

It gets even better.  As you believe in Him, God adopts you into His family.  1 John 3:1 tells us, "See how very much the Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!"

Romans 8:14-17 goes on to share this amazing promise for us as God's children: "For all you are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.  So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves.  Instead, you received God's Spirit when He adopted you as His own children.  Now we call Him, "Abba, Father."  For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.  And since we are His children, we are His heirs.  In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory..."

I don't know about you, but that is pretty overwhelming to me.
God loves me.
God has adopted me as His child.
God lets me share in His glory through Christ.

So, I may not be the best mom in the world.  I will continue to call my girls by the wrong name, and it will only get worse as we have more children in the future.  But every time I make that mistake, I am going to remember that God knows my name, that He KNOWS me, that He LOVES me.

And if I listen closely, I bet I will hear Him calling my name, bidding me come and sit on His lap.
Don't worry though, His lap is big enough for the both of us, for all 6 billion of us...

Kyiah Hesed {3 Months}

How is it possible that my baby girl is 3 months old already?  Seriously, time doesn't seem to ever slow down.  Only speed up, faster and faster.

I want to make the most of every day I have with this precious girl.  I am realizing more and more than we are never guaranteed tomorrow, and so we must make TODAY count.

Enough about that though, and back to the star of the day - Miss Kyiah!!!  She's "talking" now and smiling and laughing.  I love that she is starting to interact with us more and not just stare back at us.

She hasn't rolled over yet, probably because she doesn't like tummy time and cries when I try to get her to do it.  I don't like hearing her cry, so I don't force it.  And honestly, with 5 other kiddos (3 of them are just here for daycare), I don't have time to mess with cranky or fussy babies.  So, I hold Kyiah a lot.  And that's okay.  She may not roll over as quickly as her sisters did.  She may not crawl as early as they did - well, Coralyn never really crawled on her hands and knees but always did more of an army crawl.  She may not walk as soon as they did, but I'm okay if she waits until she's 11 months (Coralyn was just 10 and Kellah was just 9).

She does, however, seem bent on getting her first tooth before either of her sisters did.  Kellah had 4 teeth at 4 months, so that might be quite the feat, but Kyiah is working on her first one (and has been for several weeks)!  She drools all the time and I need to do better at getting a bib on her (especially if my mom is going to be around).

Kyiah is a pretty good sleeper.  Most nights she will go from 8-2 and sometimes 4 before waking up to eat!  I am so thankful for this because it took Kellah 13 months to figure out how to sleep through the night!

She is following in her sisters' footsteps of being little.  At 3 months, she still fits into her newborn sleepers.  They're just now getting a big snug, so I might have to break out the 0-3 month bin soon!  I did the "official" step on the scale while holding the baby and then put the baby down and weigh yourself again trick today.  According to that, Kyiah weighs about 9.5 pounds.  So she's gained about 3 pounds since she was born.

Kyiah seems to be an answer to our prayers for a chill baby.  She's pretty laid back and relaxed and can certainly sleep just about anywhere, in any position.

I love her big blue eyes that seem to try to take in everything around her.  She's quite alert and doesn't like to miss anything.  I've prayed that she will be attentive to the needs and feelings of those around her, that she will stand up for what's right and be a loyal, steadfast friend no matter what the cost.  I pray this carries over in her relationship with Jesus too, standing strong for Him even when no one else does.  We pray she is a reflection of His loyal, steadfast love for us.

I never thought I would have a daughter, let alone THREE!  I am so blessed though and wouldn't want to change anything!  As we celebrate 3 months with Kyiah, I am giving out extra hugs to all three of my precious girlies today.

One Year Ago Today

I remember sitting in my bedroom, trying to get to a quiet place where the girls couldn't find me.  I remember shaking as I held my cell phone and dialed Ashleigh's number.  I remember asking lots of questions.  I remember the excitement and anticipation and fear rippling through my body as I gave her the information to put into her computer.  I remember that moment in time like it was just yesterday, even though it was ONE YEAR AGO TODAY.

Yep, hard to believe that ONE YEAR AGO I became a distributor for It Works Global!

Crazy how much has happened in the past year:
*I became a distributor on February 9.
*We moved to our new house on February 24.
*We found out we were pregnant with Kyiah at the beginning of March.
*I turned 30 on March 9.
*I reached the Diamond level and earned a $10,000 bonus in August.
*Lawrence finished grad school and got his Master's in Elementary Administration.
*Kyiah was born.
*I went to Florida for the It Works conference, taking Kyiah with me.

Much more happened, of course, but I still find it hard to believe that a year has passed already since I joined the It Works family (that's exactly what it is too)!  Time has just flown by so quickly!

That's the funny thing about time, it passes no matter what.

So why not make the most of the time we're given?  That's one of my husband Lawrence's favorite scenes from the Lord of the Ring movies.  Gandolf's wise words to Bilbo were moving and inspiring, but we must do more than listen to them.  We MUST take them to heart and live them out in our own lives, making the most of every single day.

The time is going to pass no matter what.

I would hate to look back and realize I have regrets.  I would much rather take a risk and go for something, set a goal and strive to reach it, dream a dream and work to fulfill it.

And that's what I have tried to do over the past year.  Along the way, I've grown as an individual in many ways.  Hopefully, I've helped others do the same.

I do know that I have met new people and made new friends.  People I never would have met if not for It Works.  Friendships I never would have made if not for this crazy wrap business.

I do know that I've learned so much about the human body and nutrition and the ins and outs of true health.  I have seen numerous friends and family members and even strangers benefit from the NATURAL health supplements and wellness products It Works has to offer.  I have watched lives change as people invest in their health, and that is so extremely rewarding and exciting.

I also know that I've helped my family financially and enabled others to do the same.  I've celebrated with friends and team mates as they earn bonuses, get their commission checks, put wrap cash in their bank accounts.  We are all working to pay off debt, make special memories with our families, and give to others in various ways. We believe this blessing is meant to be passed on.  We want to make a difference around the world - in big and small ways.  We want to create a legacy for our children.  We want to live more and give more.  We want to make the most of the time we have been given.

Maybe you're like I was and have watched others post about It Works.  You see the before and after pictures and are skeptical.  You think it's a gimmick, just a quick fix.  You doubt that the wraps really work.  I understand.  That was me.  Before I saw person after person after person have results before my very own eyes.  I have too many pictures of too many people to ever deny the effectiveness of the wrap ever again.  I've also come to realize that the wrap is way more than fitting into a pair of jeans or a dress.  It truly is about health.  I just LOVE how the wrap can do everything from help boost someone's self-confidence to help a couple finally get pregnant after years of trying everything they could think of without any "luck" to help alleviate someone's back or joint pain to help someone lose weight and go off medications and so much more.  And that's just the wrap!!!!  We have an entire line of NATURAL supplements and skin care products too!  I could write pages and pages about what those are doing for people!

Or maybe you're like I was and think the money It Works distributors is unrealistic.  You think it sounds too good to be true.  But, let me just tell you, IT'S NOT!!!  And if not for It Works and the money I made as a distributor this year, our family would have been hurting financially.  We might have had to go back on WIC or follow a bean and rice diet.  When half my income from daycare was unexpectedly taken away, our budget had some holes, big gaping holes.  Thankfully, God had brought It Works into our lives at just the right time.

Perhaps you're like I was and think you're too busy for one more thing or that you wouldn't do well in It Works because you're not a salesperson.  As far as the time excuse goes -- we all have 24 hours in a day to use however we want, and if you want something, you can make time for it.  I know distributors who started when they were working full time jobs and going to grad school and being a wife and mom.  Good news is that they now get to stay at home with their kiddos full time, after just a year or a little more in the business.  And regarding the salesperson excuse -- the products really speak for themselves; you don't have to be a salesperson at all.  This business is truly all about relationships.  And I LOVE that!

So, here's the deal.  A year has passed.  You've watched me for a year now.  I watched my friend Ashleigh for that long.  Man, I wish I would have joined her sooner. I am so thankful my friend Melissa took the leap of faith and joined It Works, because when I saw her do it, I knew I could do.  The past year certainly wasn't what I would have planned for my life, but it's so much better!

As I reflect on the past year, I want to invite you to join me in this crazy, amazing journey THIS YEAR.  The time is going to pass anyway, so why not make the most of it?

Why not take a risk (it's only a $99 investment to start and you make your money back right away)?
Why not see if It Works can make a difference in your health, in your finances, in your life?
Why not go for it?
Why not?

Give me a call.  Let's talk.  I'd be more than happy to answer whatever questions you may have.  Goodness knows I had plenty of them before I made the decision a year ago.

Let's join together this year and make it our best one yet!!!  Let's make the most of the time we are given!

I'm already excited about what YOUR story is going to be A YEAR FROM NOW because of a decision you make TODAY!

You're Asking the Wrong Questions

Two questions have been rolling around in my head the past few days and weeks.  They have been weighing heavily on my heart and really bringing me down quite a bit, if I am truly honest.  However, I love that I serve a God who invites me, all of us actually, "Come to me, you who weak and weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you.  Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29)

And as I have responded to this most gracious and wonderful invitation from the Creator of the Universe, the One who keeps the planets in orbit while designing each and every one of the hundreds of millions of snowflakes that fell yesterday, I have indeed found rest.  For not only is this Almighty God powerful and strong beyond my deepest understanding, He is gentle and loving and kind.  He knows the number of hairs on my head.  He knows everything thing about me, truth be told.  My thoughts.  My fears.  My hopes.  My dreams.  Before I ever say anything, He knows what words will be coming out of my mouth.  He knows when I sit down and when I get up.  He knows when I go to bed and when I wake up.  He has hemmed me in behind and before; He is WITH me, each and every step of the way, holding my hand -- IF I will LET Him.

The past couple days I have not only let God hold my hand, but wrap His arms around me and pull me close to His chest.  I can feel the warmth of that embrace and my soul has been revived.

You see, I was asking questions.  Lots of questions.  All in all, though, they pretty much boiled down to these two questions:

Who am I? and What if I can't do this?

I think many people today are asking the same questions.  Far too many men and women, young boys and girls, don't know who they are anymore.  They struggle with their identity -- who they are, what they're supposed to do in life, and how their life is significant among a sea of people.  It is certainly easy to get lost in the crowd.  That's when we have to stop.  We getting caught in the hustle and bustle of life and letting people trample us down in the streets.  We're tried of running the rat race.  We're weak and weary and just want to give up.  Throw in the towel.

Then as we hit rock bottom, if we stop and take just a second to listen, we hear it.  That gentle whisper.  That tug at our hearts.  Don't ignore it.  Don't brush it aside.  Please, please, please stop and listen.  Hear what God is saying to you. Yes, YOU.

"Come to me, you who weak and weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you.  Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Once God has your attention, He's going to turn the tables and start asking you questions.  Ironically enough, He tends to ask us the same questions we've been asking Him.  The answers, however, are far different this time around.

Yesterday, I blogged about the first question: Who am I?  
If you're like me you find yourself asking:
"Who am I that God should use me?"
"Who am I that God would want to bless me?"
"Why am I so special?"

The answer revolves more around who GOD is than who you are.
Let me say that again, a different way.
It's not about YOU.  It's all about HIM.

You see, we can ask God all day long, "Who am I?" and He can tell us how much He loves us, how He uniquely created each and every one of us, giving us special gifts and abilities, how He delights in us, how He wants the best for us, how He has a plan and purpose for our lives, how He is working in us to make us more like Him, how He has chosen us to be His children and longs to have fellowship with us every single day of our lives and then for all eternity as well.

The problem is we don't believe Him.  We tune Him out.  We listen to the world instead.  We let Satan's lies creep into our hearts and minds.  We're bombarded from every angle and thus we just give up and stop asking who we are.  We just accept "I'm nobody."  "I'm not special."  "I'm not important."  or whatever.  I wrote earlier this week how we have to combat those lies with the TRUTH of God's Word.  Only when we do that can we have victory and not only realize who we are, but more importantly WHO GOD IS.

Remember how I said God turns the tables and starts asking us the same questions we've been asking Him.  So when we want to know, "Who am I?" God doesn't always answer our question. Rather, He asks us the same question, "Well, Who am I?"  See what happened?  It's not about YOU.  It's about HIM.

So, just as God has been challenging me, I now encourage you -- don't look at yourself, don't ask "Who am I?".  Stop looking in the mirror and start looking in the Word.  Get your eyes off yourself and start focusing on the One who made you.  He's asking you, "Who am I?"  He even gives you the answer too!!!

I love how God has many names.  There's not just one answer to His question, "Who am I?"  He reveals Himself in many ways because He knows that each one of us is different and at different places in our lives.  And then He meets us right where we are.  One name might stick out at a certain time in your life due to your situation, and another name might be more significant to you several years later when you are at a different place in life.  I love that.  And best of all, no matter who you are or where you are at in life -- God is God.  Yes, He reveals Himself in different ways at different times, but He never changes.  I don't know about you, but I find comfort in that.

Go back over those names again.  Read through the list.  Write down one or two names that jump out at you, that speak to you about where you are right now.

You've been asking God, "Who am I?" and now He's asked you the same question.  Let His answer shift your perspective on life.  It's not about YOU.  It's all about Him.  And that changes everything!!!

That truth also prepares us for the next question God has for us, the same one we were asking Him. "What if I can't do this?"

When we ask God that question, we are focused on our shortcomings, our weaknesses, our fears, our doubts.  We are looking at all that is going on around us and all too easily we get discouraged and overwhelmed by all that could go wrong. Like Peter when he got out of the boat and started walking on the water towards Jesus during the storm, we take our eyes off God and focus on the wind and the waves.  We get scared that we're going to drown and we do begin to sink.  We forget that the One who made the wind and the waves, the One who can say, "Be still," and the sea will immediately be calm at the sound of His voice, is right there on the water with us.

We can laugh at Peter and his lack of faith, but it's not as funny when we realize how often we do the same thing. We ask God, "What if I can't do this?"  
"What if I fail?"  
"What if I mess up?"  
"What if this is too hard for me?"  
"What if I make a fool of myself?"

They seem like legitimate questions.  We want to be responsible and realistic as we make life decisions, after all.  We don't want to go out on a limb or be crazy or get in over our heads, right?

Well, remember how I said God takes our question, "What if I can't?" and asks us the very same thing.  Somehow, when God presents that question to us, "What if I can't?" it suddenly seems absolutely absurd and ridiculous and even blasphemous to ask such a thing!!!  God can do anything.  Nothing is impossible for Him!  How dare we think that something is too hard or difficult or big for Him!  How incredulous to entertain the question, even for a second, "What if God can't do this?"  Of course He can!  He's GOD!!!

And yet, we don't believe He can.  At least we live like we don't believe Him.  That's what we're doing when we doubt and fear and worry and question, "What if I can't do this?"  

Remember, it's not about YOU.  It's all about HIM.

You CAN'T do it.  Not on your own.
It IS too big and hard and difficult for you.  By yourself.

Good thing we're not on our own.  Good thing we're not by ourselves.
God is with us, working in and through us to accomplish HIS plans and purposes.
And when God sets out to do something, He never fails.  NEVER.
He never quits.  He never gives up.
No obstacle is too big for Him.  No mountain too high.  No valley too low.
Nothing is too hard for Him.  Nothing too difficult.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, is impossible for Him.

Scroll back up and look through that list of His names one more time.
Soak them in.  Let them take root in your heart of hearts.
Remind yourself that THAT GOD -- the One whose names you just read -- is with you.  Right now.  All day, every day.  He will never leave you or forsake you.  And if that God -- the One whose names you just read -- is for you, then what can stop you?  More accurately, what can stop HIM?

Now, go ahead.  Ask Him, "What if I can't do this?"
I dare you.

You didn't do it, did you?
I hope not.

Because remember -- It's not about YOU.  It's about HIM.
Don't ask "Who am I?"
Instead, focus on the GREAT I AM and who HE is.

And with that in mind, stop asking, "What if I can't do this?"
Turn your eyes to God and rephrase the question, "What if HE can?"