“Having the Life-Force Sucked Right Out of You…”

I couldn’t help remembering the 1985 movie Cocoon, when aliens inhabited the earth to rescue cocoons that had accidentally come here. The swimming pool, at the house they were renting, was infused with “life force” to keep the cocoon viable until they returned home to outer space. When the residents of the retirement home next door learned of its ability to rejuvenate them back to their vibrant youth, they all jumped in the pool, draining it of its life force and effectiveness. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoon_(film)

There is also that 1982 classic movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. It too was based on an alien who appeared to be losing his life energy. At the point of death, his life energy is revived when other aliens come to return him back to their planet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-Terrestrial

I never experienced this until this new journey with MS. I recall my neurologist recommending I stay out of the heat of summer. He asked, “Are you heat-sensitive?” I emphatically said, “No. Never.” I have been to the Bahamas twice, in Nigeria West Africa, and several times to Phoenix AZ. No problem…

That is…until now…

One day, I was attempting to walk into my church for Mid-Day Bible Study. It was an extremely hot day, with temperatures at 92 degrees. I had parked under the canopy for quick access to the entrance. When I got out of my car, I felt like a bottle of water being poured out onto the ground or an electrical battery lowly being drained of its charge. With each step, I became weaker and weaker. Thank goodness, the church secretary saw me out of the office window, came outside and helped me into the church. It was embarrassing. Having my body do things that are out of my control was disturbing. Interesting still…as soon as I “cooled down,” I slowly revived and returned to my somewhat-mobile self.

Oftentimes, life can “drain you dry.” This can occur by stress or focus on pleasing others, i.e., our employer, friends, family, involvements and children’s schedules. This is similar to a plant that has not been watered. It begins wilting. When it is watered, it rises back to its optimum health. We must "water" ourselves by minimizing stress, living a healthy life style and setting appropriate boundaries. We would be better off if we diverted our focus toward pleasing God.

The Bible addresses ways to “revive:”

Psalm 37:4 (NKJV): Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 23:3 (NKJV): He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

James 4:8 (NKJV): Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV): But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Memorable Quotes:

“People inspire you or they drain you. Pick them wisely.” – unknown

“Be a fountain, not a drain.” – unknown

“Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles. It drains today of its strength.” – unknown

“Life is too short to spend with people who suck the happiness out of you.” – unknown

Life is precious and incredibly brief.

“Revive your light. Manifest your dreams. Realize your worth.” – unknown

“When We Don’t Trust The Answer…”

I often found this joke amusing yet sadly true:

The Fall

A man named Jack was walking along a steep cliff one day, when he accidentally got too close to the edge and fell. On the way down he grabbed a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down and to his horror saw that the canyon fell straight down for more than a thousand feet.

He couldn't hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff. So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him and lower a rope or something.

"HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there? "HELP!"

He yelled for a long time, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice. "Jack, Jack, can you hear me?"

"Yes, yes! I can hear you. I'm down here!"

"I can see you, Jack. Are you all right?"

"Yes, but who are you, and where are you?"

"I am the Lord, Jack. I'm everywhere."

"The Lord? You mean, GOD?"

"That's Me."

"God, please help me! I promise if you'll get me down from here, I'll stop sinning. I'll be a really good person. I'll serve You for the rest of my life."

"Easy on the promises,  Jack. Let's get you off from there; then we can talk. Now, here's what I want you to do. Listen carefully."

"I'll do anything, Lord. Just tell me what to do."

"Okay. Let go of the branch."

"What?"

"I said, let go of the branch. Just trust Me. Let go."

There was a long silence.

Finally Jack yelled, "HELP! HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE?"

http://www.jokebuddha.com/Cliff/recent/4#ixzz39BRpOH5g

God ALWAYS hears us and answers our prayers. It’s often either not what we want to hear or its not “packaged” the way we want to receive it. We suffer from lack of trust and faith.

The Bible addresses these:

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV): Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV): Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Matthew 17:20 (NKJV): So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Matthew 14:29-31 (NKJV): 29 …And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,[a] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Psalm 37:5 (NKJV): Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

Powerful Quotes:

“God’s 3 Answers to Our Prayers: 1) Yes;  2) Not Yet; and 3) I have something better.”

“Don’t ask God to guide your steps; if you are not willing to move your feet.”

“You can worry or you can trust God. You cannot do both.”

“Let Go and Let GOD.”

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future with a known God.” 

We should strive to increase our faith and TRUST GOD…

“Light at the End of the Tunnel”

I recall when I lived in Delaware having to make the trek to Columbia MD for training sessions. This required going through Baltimore and the Ft. McHenry Tunnel. I hated this tunnel! Driving through it was the longest 60 seconds of my life! However, I truly learned to appreciate “the light at the end of the tunnel.”  I am somewhat driving through it right now.

I have been blessed that most of my 50 years of life have been in the light. Yes, I have dealt with my share of sorrow. I am reminded by some lyrics of one of my favorite songs by Gladys Knight titled You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me. A few of the lyrics are:

“I've had my share of life's ups and downs

But fate's been kind, the downs have been few

I guess, you could say that I've been lucky

Well, I guess you could say that it's all because of you…”

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/gladysknight/yourethebestthingthateverhappenedtome.html

Being knocked down literally to my knees by the unexpected diagnosis of MS a few years ago sent me straight into darkness…sinking into the abyss…a depth that I have never known.

It was my minister, Dr. David Jones, Jr. that “threw me the life raft” when he explained to me that I was experiencing the “Stages of Grief.” I was grieving the “death of life as I had known it,” and experiencing Denial-Anger-Bargaining with God – Depression…striving to get to Acceptance and adapting a “new normal.” This was profound to me. I now had an explanation of what I was experiencing. I could now better wrap my arms around it to move forward.

During this time, my employer laid me off. I had a lot of time on my hand…most of which I spent in silence.

“It’s amazing how loud silence can be.” – Janette McGowen

The internal whisper in my spirit kept repeating itself over and over:

“Write.”  “Write.”  “Write.”

For once in my hard-headed, independent, control-freak life, I decided to be obedient. And the flood gates have burst open…

The journey continues to be a trying one. But I will keep moving…skinned knees…scars…bruises…fatigue…fear…until I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Wait?…do I see a speck of light?....

Hold on….now I see a glimmer….

Oh…now I see a single light beam….

There…There in the distance, I see more light….

I see it!  I see it!  Could it be?…….

#JustKeepMoving  #TooCloseToStopNow

“My Grace is Sufficient…”

I had heard this scripture often in my life:

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV):  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

This is God’s answer to a plea from Paul. He said that, in order to keep him from being conceited, he was afflicted with a “thorn in the flesh,” a messenger of Satan, to torment him. He asked God three times to please remove it. The answer he received was “My grace is sufficient.”

Thorn in the flesh is a colloquialism used to describe a chronic infirmity, annoyance, or trouble in one's life. It is most commonly used by Christians. The source of this Bible expression is Paul the Apostle, in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians 12:7–9. Paul does not mention the nature of his thorn, and his other epistles do not address the topic directly. Through the centuries Christians have speculated about what Paul referred to. One interpretation is that the thorn describes the persecutions and unfortunate accidents that characterized Paul's life after his conversion to Christianity; as laid out in the preceding chapter 11 of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Others suppose the expression refers to "a pain in the ear or head," epileptic fits, or, in general, to some severe physical infirmity, which was a hindrance to the apostle in his work. (comp. 1 Cor. 2:3; 2 Cor. 10:10; 11:30; Gal. 4:13, 14; 6:17). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorn_in_the_flesh

In an article, “Ten Reasons Why God’s Grace Is Sufficient Specifically For You,” the author highlights these instances:

When a sickness strikes, the Lord’s grace is expedient enough to heal and prolonged enough to demand a dependence on Him that was never before seen.

When resources are scarce…

When faced with a conflict…

When uncertainty is tainting your mood…

When people fail to live up to your expectations…

When a dark season befalls your life…

When exponential growth is not instantly visible in your ministry…

When it seems that you are lacking something…

When it seems as if though the gospel has stopped spreading…

When it seems as if though you are not accomplishing much… http://bogdankipko.com/ten-reasons-why-gods-grace-is-sufficient-specifically-for-you/

Memorable Quotes:

“I simply think God is greater than our weakness. In fact, I think it’s our weakness that reveals how great God is.” – Max Lucado

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV): “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

“When you feel guilty for being sad, remember that Walt Disney was a manic depressive.” – unknown

“The weakest part of my life can become the strongest part of my faith.” – unknown

“Until God opens the next door for you, praise him in the hallway.” – unknown

“Every weakness you have is an opportunity for God to show His strength in your life.” – unknown

“You can’t use an egg unless it is broken.” – unknown

This personally resonated with me. I was having a somewhat-challenging day. I quietly pleaded, “Lord, please ease me of these achy feelings and mobility issues so I can better serve you?” I continued to hear a quiet whisper that kept repeating, “My grace is sufficient.” 

I believe it meant that God knows my struggle. However, he has given me “just enough” to do what He wants me to do. I need to TRUST HIM. 

Don’t You???

“Can You Remember Who You Were?....”

This question really spoke to me. It is:

“Can you remember who you were before the world told you who to be?”

After pondering deeply about it, my answer became the following:

Who I Was:

• Well-Respected Medical Doctor
• New York Times Best-Selling Author
• Generous Philanthropist
• Successful Entrepreneur
• Very “firm and loving” Wife, Mother, and Grandmother

What I Became:

• College Graduate and Post Graduate (earned MBA)
• Quintessential “People Pleaser”
• Education Advisor
• Loyal Employee
• Single with No Children

It is interesting how we allow our lives to be directed by others’ hopes and dreams. We end up abandoning our own “ships to success” and hopping aboard someone else’s. We become restricted by others’ fears and insecurities.

But THE GOOD NEWS is…God created you ON PURPOSE for a very specific reason. I think that, when we try to be like others, we frustrate GOD. He created you to be YOU…not another entertainer, or another minister, or another mother, or another anything.

As long as you are still breathing, you have time to become who He created you to be.

The Bible explains:

Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV):  “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well”

Ephesians 3:20 (NIV):  “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,”

Romans 12:2 (NKJV): “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Ephesians 4:1(NKJV): “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,”

Isaiah 43:1 (NKJV): “…I have called you by your name; You are Mine…”

Memorable Quotes:

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. It’s about discovering who God created you to be.” – unknown

“God created you On purpose,With purpose, For a purpose.” – unknown

“You are far too smart to be the only thing standing in your way.” – unknown

“Be Yourself…an original is always worth more than a copy.” – unknown

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will grow up thinking it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein

“Stop trying to fit in when you were born to stand out.” – unknown

‘Spread your wings and fly,’ he said, ‘I do not have wings, sir,’ she replied. It was then he realized she had forgotten she was a bird. – unknown

“That breath you just took…it’s a gift.” – Rob Bell

Use your time wisely…start TODAY striving to be who GOD created you to be. Not sure where to start? Just ask HIM…Pray…

Understanding Corporate America

Early in my professional career, our very successful Sales Team presented a professional “rebellion” against our Management team. They attempted to forces us to sign off on a skewed compensation plan. None of the 30 member team members signed it. Our “silent resistance” forced management to go back to the board room, compromise and present a plan that was mutually beneficial to the company and to the Sales team. After over 25 years in Corporate America, I now realize that this was an anomaly and not likely to happen again.

When I finally understood a few basic insights, my professional career became more realistic:

• It is not your company. Your name is not in the company logo.
• You were not hired to fulfill your goals. You were hired to fulfill theirs.
• Every day, you have two choices: Figure out a way to fulfill your goals after fulfilling theirs or leave.
• People who are most upset with their employer do so because they believe they have to be there.
• Learn all you can and give all you have to the role.
• No matter how much you love your job, always keep your resume updated and remain marketable.
• Remember: "Build your own dreams, or someone will hire you to build theirs." This is not good or bad; it is what it is. Just know that.
• Remember: GOD is always present…not just on Sundays. He is there Monday – Friday, 9 – 5 p.m. also.

In an article by Jen Nicomedes titled “10 Life Lessons Learned From Corporate America,” she advises:

1. Don’t be so serious.
2. Ask for help.
3. Travel as much as possible.
4. Never compromise your health.
5. Everyone is a network.
6. There is no rewind button.
7. Money isn’t everything.
8. Keep your options.
9. Be yourself.
10. Don’t give up on childhood dreams.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5047/10-Life-Lessons-Learned-From-Corporate-America.html

The Bible weighs in:

Matthew 5:16 (NKJV): Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Colossians 3:23 (NIV): Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,

Psalm 37:5 (NKJV): Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

Powerful Quotes:

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobes

“Make your work to be in keeping with your purpose.” ~ Leonardo Da Vinci

“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” - Saint Francis de Sales

Allow Corporate America to be the training or “boot camp” for your professional and personal growth. Work diligently and realistically as you head toward your destiny.

God’s “ROI”

ROI or Return on Investment is a term often heard in business sectors.

Wikipedia explains:  “Return on Investment (ROI) is the concept of an investment of some resource yielding a benefit to the investor.  In purely economic terms, it is one way of considering profits in relation to capital invested.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Return_on_investment

We all look for a favorable ROI in many aspects of our lives. We check to see if the price and service was equal to or greater than what we paid for a meal at a restaurant.  We determine if the time, energy, resources and commitment we placed in a relationship is worth what we have invested.

 “You can use ROI to help you determine whether an investment will meet or has met expectations on its return. In its most simplistic form, you can think of it as your net gain divided by the cost:   ROI = Gain from Investment - Cost of Investment.

Seeking a good return on investment -- that is, getting a positive reward for what was invested -- is a useful way to think about money and a great way to think about life.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-sanjay-jain-md/return-on-your-investment_b_4682663.html

This has major implications in our spiritual lives.  Questions we should ask ourselves include:

Is God receiving His ROI for creating you?

Is Jesus receiving his ROI for dying on the cross for you?

Are your parents receiving a ROI for combining their DNA to give birth to you?

Are your teachers receiving their ROI for teaching you?

Are your children receiving their ROI of your love and care of them?

Are your elderly parents receiving their ROI for all the years they have sacrifice and been there for you?

Is your employer receiving their ROI in you?

Have your received a ROI from your spouse? Have you given it?

As a society, we are so focused on what we should GET that we fail to focus on what we GAVE. However, the principle of planting and harvest are the same. If you plant seeds, water them and fertilize them, you can realize a huge harvest. Based on the formula for ROI, the gain for your investment far outweighs the cost.

The Bible explains:

Luke 12:48 (NKJV):  ...For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (NKJV):  6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NKJV): And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,

Matthew 17:20 (NKJV): “So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

2 Corinthians 9:6 (NKJV): But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Matthew 25:21 (NKJV): His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Quotes:

“To build wealth, you need to THINK, SPEND, and INVEST wisely. Think wealth is coming to you, spend time living your purpose, and invest in yourself so the return on investment will be tenfold.” – Linda P. Jones

“You get back as much as you put in. Go all in.” – unknown

GOD has invested so much in us. He wakes us up each morning extending us with grace and mercy. He only asks of us obedience and faithfulness.

Will God receive a favorable ROI from you?