The CENTER

Hey LemonHeads!!

In the event, that I don't respond to ALL of the "Merry Christmas" Facebook messages, text messages and calls to come, this week I pray that God's most choice blessings and His favor be with you and all whom you love. 

Enjoy time with your family and friends as you reflect on, NOT WHAT but, WHO this whole thing is really about.  This video is the theme, not only for this holiday season, but for every season of your life...no matter how hopeless it seems.  Please listen entirely and reflect:

http://youtu.be/XQspvrTBd6E

I love you all and look forward to our conversations in the New Year!  As I always say...Stay Encouraged and Keep Stirring!

Steph

My Letter to People's Opinions

Dear P.O.,

It's funny that those are your initials because you are a BOX!  A P.O. BOX...and I am sending this letter as my key to closing you.  I don't even know how I got caught up with you in the first place. 

Oh wait, I remember!  I spent years asking others what they thought about things concerning my own life.  That's how you crept in and began to control my every move.  You were a sneaky little something, weren't you?

Here's what I've learned about you...that you are none of my business.  The only opinion of me that really matters is God's and then how I feel about myself should line up with what He says about me.  You see, His thoughts of me are precious and pure, He sees me in my fullest potential and He is perfect.  That means He reserves the right to have an opinion of me.

You, on the other had, have a dirty filter.  You see me through a clouded glass because you are tainted with your own imperfection.  You poor thing...who told you that you had a right to judge anyone? 

Let me help you.  Our imperfections are somewhat of a prerequisite for being used as vessels of God.  The anointing on our lives requires that we will always have need of Him.  That's why we must "consider our own selves in the spirit of meekness when we recognize fault in others".

So P.O., I leave you with this challenge...Pray for me instead.  Because neither one of us qualifies to be a judge.

Respectfully,

Steph

My Letter to Confidence

Hey Lady,

I just wanted to say to you that I am so grateful we met and I pray that God would keep us together for the rest of my days.  You are such a great example to the girls and I'm really glad that the Lord blessed me with the amazing gift of our friendship.

'Cause girrrll, that trifling depression and low self-image were tryin' to get me!  But you came in like a superhero with "JC" on your chest!  Thank you Lord!

I just wanted to say I love you and thank you for teaching me to love me.  Now, I love me to life because He loved us to death!

You are anointed, beautiful, intelligent and kingdom-necessary.  You are a leader and a true lady.  You belong to God and He loves you beyond measure!  I just thought I'd say to you what you say to me everyday.

Sincerely Grateful,

Steph

A Letter to Depression

Dear Depression:

This letter comes as a MEMO to remind you that WE BROKE UP!  Stop calling me, stop bothering my family and don't even think about visiting my kids.  And you know how I feel about my kids!!  Now God gave me the strength to kill you once in my own life and you should know that I am bigger, stronger and faster than I used to be, thanks to HIM.  You don't want to mess with me...I'm not playing!  As a matter fact and even more so, you don't want to mess with God...He's not playing and He is my response!! 

You were so heavy...like extra rolls on an already huge stomach (#lookinglikebuddha).  I don't miss you at all because you, just like low self-image, were never a friend.  You seemed like you were keeping me company when really you were just blocking my view.

So, I just wanted to let you know that NOW everyday when I wake up, God reminds me of my purpose and that causes me to keep moving forward.  So, I didn't need to kill myself after all! Whew! You almost had me. 

Oh and take Suicide with you.  He's not even getting a letter 'cause he almost made me miss heaven.  I don't ever want to talk to that IDIOT again!

Listen, the only company I want when I'm in my house alone is the Holy Spirit.  So uh, thanks but no thanks!  Every person that I "cc" on this letter is off limits to you!  Leave God's people alone...we don't belong to you!  And in case you don't get the hint, let me seal this letter with this...

Leave Us Alone and Goodbye In Jesus' Name,

Steph

cc:  Everyone who reads this letter, their family and their friends.

A Letter to Low Self-Image

Hey You,

Yeah, you...ugly, dirty and fat. I was thinking about you today (as I smiled) and remembered all of the years you caused me pain.  I know that you are weak now (with all of the time that's passed since we've seen each other) and this is probably not a good time, but I just had to write this letter to catch you up on my life now.

Remember all of that stuff that happened to me and when you first came into my life?  Remember how you told me that if I never opened my mouth about it I would be fine and we would be friends?  Well, you LIED!  I could take some time to ask you why but you would probably just lie to me again.  I get it! That's what you do...you lie.  I could just punch you in your face, but you kind of resemble me and I'm saved now, so I won't.

Guess what?  I wrote a book about all that stuff and it FREED ME!  You were sooo wrong about me and my life.  I should never have listened to you.  Mm, mm, mm...wasted time and energy.

I also wanted to share with you that I have MIRRORS now.  Yep!...in EVERY SINGLE ROOM OF MY NEW HOME!  Even my kitchen has a mirror! LOL.

Oh and by the way, God and I?  We both disagree with you... I AM GORGEOUS! Both inside and out! I got a new friend many years ago named Jesus and He cleaned me up AND girl, did you know I was never fat?  I'm just thicker in all the right places (with a small waist, I might add).

You were such a liar and I can't stand you.  So, I'm happy to see you go and I'm sorry you stayed so long!  BYE!

Sincerely,
Steph

The Bad Guy Wins

My oldest daughter, in expressing the frustrations that go along with being a teenager, said to me recently "Sometimes I feel like the bad guy wins and the good guy has to take the long way to accomplish anything."

Fast money, fast cars, microwave meals...nobody wants to wait for anything anymore.  And although we'd like to be examples of great patience for our children, if we are to be honest, the process of waiting is frustrating.  And on top of that, waiting always has partner factors.  For example,

Waiting AND trusting that what you are waiting for is what you need when it comes...
Waiting AND anxiously anticipating how soon it will come...or
Waiting AND continuously experiencing more of life and its trials

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that all things work together for good TO them that love God, TO them who are the called according to His purpose".  I get most excited about the word "TO" because that small word lets me know that God's greater plan and purpose for me is moving in my direction.  I must stay on a consistent and active path of loving Him in order to see the good made manifest.

So my friends, its simple. This is not about how long we wait.  It is actually about how we wait.  Are you waiting with your arms folded, tapping your foot impatiently as you watch the clock and calendar?  Or, are you presenting yourself as available to God, standing at His table with an empty tray saying, "How may I serve you today?"

As we run (in my case, walk...LOL) up and down the stairs of our new home, my daughter is personally experiencing the reward that goes along with being the "good guy".  She is learning how to wait on God.

Oh and by the way, you are not waiting to win because you have already won.  Keep stirring, be encouraged and stay blessed!

Buried Alive

You're in a box.  It's called tradition.  It fits you perfectly and you have been living in it for most of your life.  But one day, without even trying, the inevitable happens...you grow up.  However, you are still in the same place, in your box that's laced with limitations.  You have grown so much that you can't even move your arms any more. 

Then someone comes with a shovel and piles on the dirt...giant heaps of opinions, doubt and discouragements.  Enter the rain - the Word and promise of God, filled with hope and wisdom.  The weight of the raindrops press on the dirt as it turns to mud and now you're suffocating with confusion.  What should I do? What voice should I listen to? I'm tired of where I am, but I'm afraid of where I'm going. 

You run to church for fresh rain, but your mind is filled with old soil.  You're ALIVE but you don't know how to LIVE. Survival is all you've known and you have settled for that.  At what point, do you claw your way out of the box to experience the purpose that was set before you?

My prayer for all of us today is that we take the limits off God and ourselves.  It's as my Pastor says, we must stop approaching a limitless God with a teaspoon.  He is very well able to see that we accomplish greatness beyond our imagination, beyond our traditions and beyond the opinions of people.

Jesus says in John  6:63, "The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life".  All that matters is what He says and in Him are no limits.  So look to Jesus now and live!

Stay encouraged and keep stirring!

Rise and Shine!

When life punches you in the face, kicks you in the teeth, and drags you down the street, PLEASE REMEMBER...God uses PURPOSE as the alarm clock that wakes you up each morning.

At each new day, tell the Lord "Thank You for another chance to get it right!" I read a quote the other day that said, "If you quit before you get it, then you never deserved it."

That's it...love you all! Keep stirring!

Perfectly Imperfect People

Sometime ago, one of my daughters broke a mirror (I still don't know which one did it, so everyone got in trouble...LOL) and while they did their best sweep job to clean it up, there were those tiny little glass splints scattered around on the floor.  You know, the ones you can barely see but you feel them as soon as you walk through the house barefoot in the middle of the night?

Friends, I want you to go to the mirror of your mind for a moment.  What do you see?  Is the reflection clearly you?  I mean, are there so many cracks in the glass that you can barely recognize yourself because the image is so distorted?  Is the mirror whole or is it broken up into many little pieces?

Throughout my life, even today, I've witnessed so many broken people trying desperately to sweep their "glass splints" under the rug.  Their goal is to never allow others to see their flaws.  But, it never fails, somehow a moment happens when everyone realizes that they missed a spot.  OUCH!! The splint jabs them in the foot and they expose who they really are.

Trying to appear as perfect is too much pressure.  God knows what to do with our brokenness.  He is the good parent who will sweep up the pieces we've left behind.  And for the record, it is impossible to impress Him because He is the one who is perfect.  Although we discussed last week about being beautiful antiques, we are perfectly imperfect.  Remember, "He beautifies the meek with salvation".

So instead of saying, "Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all."  Try this little prayer that the Lord gave me today...

Holy Spirit inside of me, search my heart so that I may be
A reflection of what's good and true; surrendered in this life for You.

Humility works...stay blessed!

Beautiful Antique or Worthless Knick Knack?

I have a confession to make...I love storage auction shows!  I am so intrigued by rare antiques and how they bring beauty and value to a home or space.  Knick-knacks, on the other hand, may be beautiful but they hold no worth outside of the manufacturer's retail price.

Have you ever wondered what makes an antique so valuable?  In the "age of knock-offs", the depth of an antique is housed in its history.  It's amazing how collectors nurture and carefully handle an antique, even sometimes using white gloves, but the aged dents and markings or "scars" of the item are left alone because they represent the labor that this beautiful piece has contributed to time.

The anointing that is on your life should be viewed and treated the same way.  What is your gift and are you expressing it in a way that brings honor and beauty to God and your family?  The best parts of you are the scars of your heart.  The experiences that brought them are what makes you the beautiful antique you are today.

You are necessary, you are valuable and you are definitely NOT a knock-off.  You are the original you! Know your worth. God does and He is the collector and creator of beautiful things. Be blessed.

Yesterday's Gone, Sweet Jesus!

"Today, I'll Make Lemonade" was birthed through much pain and even angst.  In the event that someone does not recognize that word, angst means "the dread caused by man's awareness that his future is not determined but must be freely chosen".  In your faith walk , have you ever resented or even DREADED the process of going through because you really wanted to wallow in feeling sorry for yourself?  After throwing your own pity party, did you then realize that your life's journey is about something greater than you? 

The title of the book came to me instantly because life has dumped a caseload of lemons on me and my family.  I believe the word "TODAY" is the most significant part of the book's title.  In the month that you have not heard from me, I've been, as I like to call it, gathering myself.  My father's passing was the "tip of the iceberg", "the straw that broke the camel's back", and every other cliche related to wanting to give up.  I had to re-program myself to FIGHT...to "contend for the faith" as the Word says in Jude 1:3.

Do you realize that every TODAY brings a choice to either give up or get in the fight?  The great thing about this fight is that it's been fixed on your behalf and God has empowered you to be reminded of that truth.  TODAY I will read my Word for wisdom and encouragement.  TODAY I will pray so that I will grow in my relationship with God and be strengthened.  TODAY  I will believe, trust and expect God to be God in my life.  TODAY I'm winning just because I'm in this fight.

This Lemonade Stand is greater than me.  I started blogging after I was encouraged by the publishing company to do so. I didn't really know the first thing about where to begin because I thought that writing the book was enough.  And honestly speaking, it was initially just a journal entry because I needed a safe place to pour all of this stuff.  I recently heard someone say, "sometimes you don't know what you can do until you have to do it".  Yesterday, I didn't know what was in me but TODAY with God, I know I can.

So to all the "Lemon Heads" out there, I thank God for your patience, for your texts and e-mails requesting more.  My earnest prayer is that, through these posts, you are encouraged each week to follow God and remember His promise.  I will see you next week as the Lord wills it to be.  And by the way, the TV commercial is being produced for the book as we speak...it's almost done! To God be the Glory!!!

The Funny Thing About A Funeral

Needless to say, the thought for this week is on the heels of my father's passing.  His funeral happens to be tomorrow and my mind is so crowded that I had to journal today.  The funny thing about a funeral is that while it is the result of a person's death, it tends to resurrect all of the good, bad and even ugly details of the relationship you had with your "loved" one.

My dad, Wayne, was funny, humble, kindhearted, intelligent, and handsome (with hazel eyes).  But let me say the hard thing...my father was a Vietnam War-infected alcoholic.  He wasn't there for me, he was inconsistent and he broke promises all the time.  I loved him so much.  I designed his funeral service program last night and had the complicated task of also writing his obituary.  I never knew my paternal grandfather - not even his name.  During the "cancer season" there was no time to ask that because I had so many other questions for my dad in these last few months.  The family tree was the least of my concern.

I spent my teenage years searching for dad as he relocated from place to place.  When he would land, we would keep in touch by telephone and the conversation was always the same.  "Puddin' (his nickname for me) I'm sorry that I missed you growing up.  You're my first born and I should've been there.  I'm sorry....I'm sorry."  The crazy thing is that while it sounded like he was sincerely crying over the phone, sometimes it was just a drunken stupor.  I am sure that my dad loved me, but he just didn't know how....he was too sick and it had nothing to do with cancer.

This is what makes my relationship with God so wonderful.  My inconsistencies, failures, flaws, and "jacked-upness" (I just made that up), have no effect on whether He will love me or not.  He loves me and I know it.  For that, I could actively love my dad and he knew it. 

I'm so grateful for sharing the last lap of my dad's journey with him, sitting at his bedside, laughing, crying and talking with him.  So today, I thank God for resolve, for peace and for His undying, consistent and active love toward me.  Daddy, I will miss you and I'm so glad you received salvation so that we can spend more time together later.  See you soon....Puddin'.

Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Lord, I thank You for my wonderful children!  I had a chat with my 11-year old (Briana) recently and asked her a question. "Briana, you've witnessed Mommy make a lot of mistakes since you've been here.  What has been the greatest lesson you've learned from them?"  With raised eyebrows, a nonchalant expression on her face and a shrug of her shoulders, she says to me, "I've learned to keep on going on".

Remember the post entitled "Are You A Living Contradiction?"  In it I said, "...Each morning remind yourself that every tomorrow places you further and further away from your yesterday."  Briana's response to me (although short) blessed my life because it was laced with the hope of tomorrow. 
To her, the resolve is simple...just keep moving because tomorrow has to be better. 

While I'd like to take credit for making life look easy, my children have seen me cry, yell, shut down, and yes, pray.  But what I love about this is that Briana paid most attention to the fact that God caused me to get up and go every day.  All the while, I'm striving to be an example to her (in my unsuccessful attempts at hiding my hurts) and it turns out that my baby girl has been the greatest example to me.

Children thrive on promise...they don't dwell on pain.  I said to my girls about three or four years ago, "Ladies, you are going to see Mommy make some mistakes, but I promise you that you will also see me correct them".  I had no idea of the magnitude of that statement back then, but I'm so glad that Briana never dwelt on the moments when it seemed as if we were losing because she remembered my promise to her. 

Now here's what's great about that...God never makes a mistake!  And when God makes promises He is very clear on what the outcome will be.  We just have to be smart enough (like my 5th grader) to cling to the voice of His promise.  The test...can you pass it?

Failure IS an Option!

What is a defeatist?  One who surrenders easily.  Oh boy, I can imagine what some of you are thinking right now.  You're saying, "Steph, don't go there because you don't know what I've been through...I'm tired!!"  Incestuous molestation, rape, abandonment, divorce, depression, suicidal thoughts, single motherhood, ministry, six brain surgeries, oh yeah, and more ministry...when Today, I'll Make Lemonade is released you will have a clearer picture of my journey and understand why God has allowed me this platform to share with you.

So my response to you is, "Oh please!  Challenges are a part of growth."  Sounds a little rude I know, but I post these notes of encouragement to you each week, sometimes through tears.  I think of the many times (even most recently) that I thought of giving up and then there's a surge of power that goes through me to remind me that I'm not alone and that I will not fall on my face this time.

Let me share this with you, my friends.  Failure IS an option!  You can choose to throw in the towel (AGAIN) only to look over your shoulder a month from now and see the pile of towels in the corner.  The sight reminds you of so many projects that you have started but did not complete.  The more you focus on the towels, the more disappointed you become with yourself...so you quit, once again.

Roman 8:37 (NIV) says "...We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. NO, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."  So if God is the filter through which we live this life, then that must mean that we are empowered to prove our enemy (or "inner-me") wrong.  It doesn't matter anymore who hurt you or even how much "it" hurt you, even if it was you who hurt you. 

What matters now is that you are still standing and today is your opportunity to conquer.  So get up and DO something...or not.  It's your option.

So NOISY, So CROWDED...My Room!

I recall, when I was pregnant with my first daughter (Diamond), the many "horror" stories I had to suffer through from experienced mothers.  I heard about their labor pains, their mood swings, their uncontrollable bladders, their morning sickness...UGGHHHH!! It was torturous! 

Was there pain?  Yes.  Did I spend lots of time in the restroom?  Absolutely!  However, the discomfort I experienced during those nine months could never outweigh the joy of talking, singing and reading to this little miracle growing in me...the anticipation of what (or who) was to come.  Had I focused on the "tales from the dark side" I would not have been able to enjoy the tremendous blessing of carrying life.  The memory of that experience brings me to this week's thought...How did it get so noisy and so crowded in my room? 

It's not easy keeping a secret when you are excited about something great that's about to happen in your life.  God has made room for you and you want to tell the world about it!  Whether it's a new business venture, finishing school at a later age, or even pregnancy, there is always someone who has some kind of experience in that area.  These "experts" are usually relentless in wanting to share "how hard it was", or "how long it took"...sometimes they even ask, "are you sure you want to do that?".  Their seeds of pessimism begin to settle in the soil of our minds and then what happens next?  We begin to worry or even doubt what was just a passion five minutes before we had that conversation.

So many of us have unfinished accomplishments and unfulfilled dreams because we gave someone the liberty of opinion.  I'm reminded of these competitive television shows where so many walk away discouraged from using their talents because of three or four judges.  I am excited when I see those same people move on to become celebrated artists who top the charts.  There's just something about not giving up!  This week I challenge you to practice fortitude...simply put, don't share "it" until you are ready to stand up for it.

Are You A Living Contradiction?

A wealth of innovation and anointing!  You open your mouth and people are driven to tears.  You love and serve God and His people with selflessness (at least, that's what you believe).  You are celebrated...when you walk into a room, everyone wants a moment to chat with you.  To the public, you are a wonderful and accomplished human being - someone they look up to.  "God must be pleased with you!"

THEN there's home.  Dishes in the sink, stacks of unpaid bills, a dresser with a section reserved for your medication, a pile of laundry pushed aside so that you at least have a space on the floor to pray, children who wonder why you even bother praying, and the list goes on and on.

Do you sense that there is a "God-greatness" in you, but find that your life doesn't quite match that?  Are you what "they" would call a living contradiction?  Maybe the given example seems a little more dramatic than your own life or maybe that description is not dramatic enough.  However, you have, at some point, felt displaced from who you know you were purposed to be.  Frustrating, isn't it?

As we are living out this human experience we must remember that life is made up of moments and movement.  Each morning remind yourself that every tomorrow places you further and further away from your yesterday.  So technically, it is impossible to get stuck because the past has already happened and is now behind you.  The person you see in the mirror right now has the potential to be greater than that tomorrow.  You are not a contradiction...You are God's prediction!

So right now, send a text message to your children to wash the dishes and separate the colored clothes from the white clothes when they get home from school.  Then when you get home, set a pay schedule of small increments to be sent to your creditors...do something.  DO SOMETHING that will move you out of this moment and closer to your greatness.  And remember to celebrate each moment because you are still ALIVE!!

Who Are You When You're There?

To God Be All the Glory!!  I so appreciate everyone's feedback via e-mails, phone calls, and comments to the "Stand"...keep it coming!  Last week, I received a call from a beautiful sister/friend (Love you 'Chelle!) who shared that sometimes it is such a challenge to maintain who she is as a woman of faith in a secular environment.  Now reader, don't get amnesia and act as if you have never experienced this.  It's like being the only soprano in a choir full of tenors!  It's not easy to be noticed or even heard when you're the only one there singing your note.

Maybe it's not about maintaining who we are when we don't fit in where we are.  I believe it's more about remembering Whose we are...simply living in the confidence that God is and we are blessed to wear His badge.  Faith is perspective and we ALL need to broaden ours.  We must enjoy the liberty that goes along with being "set aside".  Don't allow cliques to make you feel as if they are having a party and you're not invited.  God's love, joy, peace, and grace are limitless and we, as His children, have access to all of that.

Is it hard to not get involved when a vulgar joke or gossip is spreading through the office?  And to my teenage readers, do your school friends even know that you actively worship when you go to church?Here's your encouragement...I looked up the definition of "strange" and discovered words like, unsual, extraordinary, situated, and unfamiliar.  I LOVE THAT!  Dare to be different.  Pray for the strength to be a stranger!  Occupy 'til He comes.

When the Sugar Settles...

Lord, You are so smart!!  This "lemonade" thing is really blessing people.  I had a conversation with a sister/friend of mine (Love you, Val!) and she blessed me with a thought.  She visited "The Lemonade Stand" last week and then she called and reminded me of how sometimes the sugar settles at the bottom of the pitcher...WHOA!  That leaped in me!!

I believe that when we finally get to the point where we decide to do something productive with the lemons, we don't fully stir.  What do I mean?  Well, we have these sour lemons and then we add sugar (which, of course, represents God).  This now changes the bitter taste of the fruit.  If we didn't spend time consistently stirring, then the moment we leave the pitcher sitting, what happens?  The sugar settles at the bottom.

This week's thought is this...We cannot lie dormant as if life is not happening all around us.  Get God involved in your issues - in your dreams.  He wants more for you than you want for yourself.  His presence sweetens the drink and changes your perspective.  Your "it" is not as bad as it may seem or taste...Just keep stirring!! God is the resolve...He is what makes the sour sweet!  Be encouraged.

I'm OK With That...

Saturday (April 21st) is my birthday...Thank You Lord!  As I approach 41 years of life, I am realizing how much of me I have given to people and how little of me I've given to God....WOW!!!

In our first week together, I talked to you about "emotional vampires".  Do you know how they were born?  From those of us who have "Savior Syndrome"!  We spend so much time being people-pleasers that we forget our life assignment is greater than us and them.  God does want you to show love by helping others, but not to the degree that you have no time to bring Him a return on the investment He has made in you.

Have you ever found yourself exerting more energy into someone else's life, dreams, and issues than they do?  How about when you have set your schedule for the week and there's just no available time to be there for them?  Do they get upset with you?  Well practice this...stand in front of a mirror, put your hands on the center of your chest and say aloud, "I'm OK with that". 

First of all, this practice prevents you from keeping score and stealing credit that doesn't belong to you.  While helping someone is an awesome gesture that we should carry out, we should never get to the point where we resent helping others because we have allowed ourselves to be used up by them.

Do what you CAN for people.  Do not let people CAN you.  In this human experience there are those who will box you in, keep you in their pocket, for you to only be used by them, if you allow it.  No one person deserves that kind of liberty in your life.  Although we are made in the image of God, we are not Him. We have to learn to be OK with not being everything to everyone...only He can do that.  And we have to BE OK WITH THAT!

I Remember...

Today (April 11th) marks five years since my first brain surgery (I had six in total).  I have shared this testimony time and time again...it will never get old.  I've seen people respond to my story in shock as they try to steal glances at my head to search out scars.  They've said things like, "Oh my God! Are you okay now?"  I always respond, "Yes, I'm fine.  God is amazing, isn't He?"  They reply, "Yes, He is".  God's ability to heal our infirmities is not the only thing that makes Him amazing.  It is also that He continues to heal us, invest gifts in us, cover and bless us even though we don't actively appreciate Him for any of it.

Want an example? I'm what I'd like to call an "extreme parent".  I don't like repeat offenses. For instance, if I find myself tripping over toys on the floor more than once, then I snap the doll's head off and toss it in the garbage. My daughters look at me in shock and disbelief, but in the aftermath from "Tornado Mommy", they realize that I just simply got tired of giving to ungrateful children.  So today, as I remember when the nurse had to teach me how to lift a spoon to my mouth and feed myself; or as I remember at the age of 35, learning how to walk again; or even as I remember the joy of coming home after a 10-month hospital stint and sitting on the "uncomfortable" futon bed that I spent so much time complaining about...I just want to say, "Thank You Lord that I remember."

My friend, isn't it funny how we disregard priceless things like the air we breathe, the ability to use our limbs, our senses and our memory?  We refer to them as the "little things" when really, we can't function without them.  Our perception of things that are important is like looking through a car's rear view mirror.  PLEASE BE ADVISED:  OBJECTS MAY NOT BE AS "IMPORTANT" AS THEY APPEAR.  Today, let's reflect on things that are really important.  NOW...What are you grateful for?

Pass the Pitcher

They say, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."  I don't know who "they" are and why "they" are constantly saying something.  Not only that, but why do we adopt everything "they" say? Well, this particular quote I did choose to adopt as my life motto.  The wonderful thing about making lemonade is that you may start with an ingredient that is sour to taste, but you end up with a thirst-quenching refreshment for others to enjoy with you.  Your life journey is not just for you alone, so take your lemons and make a pitcher of lemonade to share!

Have you ever met a miserable person? One who believes that they are the only human being with problems?  I call them “emotional vampires” because they tend to zap all of your energy with their negative perspective on life.  Unfortunately, sometimes these are people we are assigned to help and other times these are just people we love and want to help.  Here is a great practice…ask them a question.  For example ask them, “Is your life worse than the homeless man you saw on the train the other day?  Do you think he decided to be homeless for a living?”  I know it seems a little direct or brass, but sometimes we need to be reminded that not only is there a common thread called “issues” between us all, but that there are definitely others in worse situations than ours.  Spend at least one day a week NOT praying for or talking about yourself.  Pass the pitcher...Live to love someone else today!