May 2007

I’m posting this picture just because I love it.

I love my job. I really do. I know  my purpose and passion in life is to live Christ through this professional outlet. The one thing I don’t like…being judged by what I wear and what I drive. It’s the old “if you don’t look good, you must not be very good at what you do or you could afford better”. I hate that but that’s the way it is.

Today, I’m grateful that I’m seeing past clients; people who are confident of my gifts and abilities in this field without the suit. I’m wearing capri jeans and sandals and they’re making me lunch.

Let’s all clink our glasses to “what lies beneath”.

This is not a nice post. Sometimes the truth isn’t nice. But Nice doesn’t set you free either.

Yesterday, I found I have a button that when pushed, makes me completely crazy. (I know, I know, I need to get a handle on this. I’m working on it.)

It’s the “I can’t” button. The excuse button. The “I would but…” button, the “it’s too hard” button. Hey, I’ve been there. Most of us have at one time or another, in one way or another. Some of us worse than others. Some of us created our own circumstances and then blame God. ei yi yi. Of course there’s times when we fall into the defeat pit, we all do. God knows I’ve worn a rut there…but!…we can’t Live there. Some have moved their furniture in and have no intention of moving out. “I can’t” and “it’s not my fault” are nothing but excuses.. 

About our tough circumstances…IT IS WHAT IT IS, deal with it! Cry about it once in a while, fine. Ask others to hold your hand and walk you through it, good! But know this…our circumstances will never circumvent our Purpose.

It’s quite simple really. If we were unable to live our Kingdom Purpose OUT in the set of circumstances in which we are in, then God would have put us in a different set of circumstances. Period.

Whatever our circumstances, whatever our station, there’s not only a place for Purpose, we are there FOR the Purpose. For God’s sake stop obsessing in the reflection of self and look beyond YOU to your sphere of influence. There are Divine Appointments waiting and you’re not answering your door.

Oh btw, you can forget those spiritual gift assessments, I scored high on Mercy.

Art by Stephen Bell

Synergy! Is an amazing thing…

We began a New Higher Ground class last night.  I admit, I don’t usually study or teach from curriculum studies like Beth Moore or Joyce Meyer(s)? for many reasons (um…like I thought/think they were too canned and maybe more than a little lame), but I found myself dry and uninspired a few months ago and out of desperation, halfheartedly explored this one. Oh boy…this one hits a bulls eye my friends. Living Beyond Yourself. I think you can do it on line right now at her website.

Completely. Life. Changing. IF you…allow it.

They have missed Higher Ground as much as I have. Do you know what it’s like to be part of a packed room of very busy women who are determined to change their lives and the lives of those they touch? Who want to LIVE life to the fullest every day? Powerful. These women scare me and intimidate me to the core, but I think that’s a good thing. 

I believe we can change the world one moment at a time. This past couple of weeks or so, I committed myself to concentrating on living beyond myself, thinking first about others that God would bring into my path. I wanted to consciously respond through the qualities living in us through the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23. Love, Peace, Patience, Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self Control through serving whoever God brought across my path. You cannot believe the number of people that God brought to me. Not always heavy or serious but people that were lost, ran out of gas, a little boy fell off his bike and no one was around to help, a conversation with more than one person who felt they were in a desolate wilderness. One of them, I didn’t even know.  All I did was be open and aware of my circumstances.

I want to live an amazing life waaay beyond what I am capable of living on my own. I wish you all could join us. Synergy is so powerful, so energizing, so healing. It overcomes. You just can’t help it.

It never fails…just before I begin teaching a principle at Higher Ground He takes me through it first personally…some way, somehow. You’d think I’d remember that and manipulate my topics wouldn’t you We’re beginning a 12 week study on “Living Beyond Yourself” next week. Here I am clicking along in life amidst all the things in which I excel…and suddenly I have every kind of need/concern/problem interruption imaginable from outside sources.

Just like yesterday when I got saddled with someone else’s problem client because the agent didn’t bother to show up at a closing which was rife with his buyer’s mortgage problems. I had my own clients to worry about AND his. I wanted to leave them hanging, afterall, they weren’t my problem. I wanted the agent to look as bad as he was. In the end I took very good care of all of them even if it was grudgingly internally. My vision was distorted and narrow, focused on my stuff. When I’m not looking at a situation correctly, seems the situation will exhaust me no matter how minor. I just don’t have the correct energy to deal with it. Last evening it hit me as I sat down with a heavy sigh to prepare for this study…Living Beyond Myself…oh yes…here we go, evidently I need a refresher. It took me long enough to recognize it.

Then, last night I dreamed all night long. I don’t usually dream and when I do it is rarely about me. In my dream, Roger and I were hosting a big outdoor dinner party. We had a bonfire and twinkling lights in the trees just like we used to. Most of our old/good friends were there and many people that I have never met. Good food and conversation, lots of laughter. Next thing I know, the whole group was walking down the dirt road by the Shack (our little place up north in the woods), shovels in hand, going somewhere to dig a well for somebody which turned into building a little structure of some sort. Even my dream was about living Beyond Myself. I think I get the message…

The dream also made me realize how much I miss our parties with friends, people who challenge us. I’m hungry for their meaningful conversation. I’m weary of empty conversation with people who don’t really want to know or be known, weary of the facade of verbosity.

I want to Live for something beyond myself. I Must.