I don't know about you but I can fall in to the trap of comparison.  Yesterday was a perfect example.  I have started training for a triathlon.  Its been nearly ten years since I have done much swimming other than for fun. 

 

Yesterday was my third training swim.  I started out well and swam half the distance I will be swimming in the race.  I was feeling pretty good and then something happened.  Another swimmer jumped in next to me.  At a glance, I decided that she must be a bit older than me.  I am competitive so after a couple of laps I noticed that she was faster than me.  I picked up my pace and tried to catch her but could not.  I started getting really down on myself and then I noticed something that changed everything.

 

I caught a glimpse of something just below the surface.  Fins!!!  She had fins on her feet while she was swimming.  Now wonder I could not keep up with her. 

 

What is my point in sharing this?  To let you know that I struggle with comparison?  Ok its true but here is my point.  We don't see what's blow the surface when we make comparisons.  Each of us has our own unique story so when we make comparisons based on what we see on the surface we will always be disappointed.  God made each of us unique and each of us has something special to contribute to this world. 

 

We need to stop focusing on trying to be better than others and focus on getting better every day.   When we do this we are sure to succeed.

 

 

 

 

For those of you that know me, I am a dig deep no excuses kind of girl.  I like to make things happen and I don't have much patience for excuses.  This has served me pretty well in life helping me to accomplish many things.

Recently, I have found myself pushing really hard, overcoming obstacles and just plain getting it done  I also found myself at the end of my rope.  I was mentally and physically exhausted I did not think I could push any harder.

Thankfully God is amazing with his timing when he is trying to teach me something.  In the middle of a near melt down he showed me that I needed to be putting him first and that his strength begins when I get to the end of me. 

I started prioritizing my quiet time again and gave myself some permission to slow down.  In slowing down I started listening to The Gifts of Imperfection by Brenee Brown.  She shares about how you should dig deep and it does not mean just gutting it out.  The above picture is from her book.  The "D" being the one that I need to focus on the most.  I need to get deliberate about focusing on my faith which is where I truly derive my strength.

So the next time you feel like you are at the end of your rope don't just dig deep.  Get deliberate, get inspired and get going!!!

Contentment

 

I would like to share something that has helped us to reach financial freedom.  You might be surprised to hear that we have not accomplished this by making a huge amount of money.  Both of us have had successful careers but for a long time lived off of just one income.  For part of this time we put the second income in savings and part of it we only had one income due to a variety of things.  For the first several months after we brought Jacob home, neither of us worked.  The reason I share this is that I think that there is a huge misconception that wealth and income are related.  Yes you do have to earn money to pay your bills but some of the people that make the most money are flat broke.

 

One of the biggest things that helped us to be successful was learning to be content with what we had.  The furniture pictured above was never really my taste but it was good quality and served its purpose so we kept it.  Now that we are in a different place financially we were able to update this room without using credit for any of it.  I truly believe that learning to be content where you are at is a big key to being successful with money.  There will always be a newer, faster, better model.  Keeping up with the neighbors just means you will be broke like the neighbors.

 

Can you think of any areas that you need to practice contentment?  I would love to hear from you.

 

 

 

My husband says I am stubborn.  I like to call it determined.  When I set my mind to do something I can accomplish almost anything.  I decided that I was strong enough to make it through the entire 30 minutes of Insanity Max: 30.  Now if you don't know anything about this program, its tough and designed to push you to the point that you fail.  That is how you get better.  Well, like I said, I am determined and I did it.  The picture above is taken right after the work out when I collapsed on the floor where I remained for several minutes as I caught my breath. 

I have tried to take that same determination to how I deal with food but with different results. In my 30's I maintained my weight with an unhealthy relationship with food and being very restrictive in what I ate.  Since that time, I have learned a lot about eating to be healthy rather than to be skinny.   Because I am determined, I can be really successful when I am extremely focused but when I lose that focus I really struggle.  I came back from Mexico and in to the holiday season and have had a serious sugar issue going on.  Once I start, its really hard to break.  In my 30's I would have placed strict rules on myself and beat myself up if I failed.  Today my approach is different. 

I have learned that relying on my own determination (or stubbornness) is not the best way to live.  Galatians 5:22-23 is a familiar verse to many but how often do we really dig in to it.  It says " But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law".  The self control I actually need is what happens when I allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in me and fill me with this fruit.  When I rely on my strength in God rather than my own strength.

So as I am facing my sugar cravings today I am not relying on being strong or determined.  I am relying on the self control that comes from submitting to God's spirit working in my life.  It also does not hurt to remind myself that if I am working this hard, I want to see the results of my hard work.  I am focusing on what I want MOST rather than what I want NOW. While I would love to have great results from doing this amazing program, what I what MOST is to glorify God with the way I lead my life and serve others. 

Its time to be unapologetically me!

I just recently returned from our leadership retreat to Mexico where I was surrounded by some amazing women. I was blessed by the opportunity to go and thankful for my hubby and family for making it possible for me to go.  One big thing that I took away is that I need to work harder to be unapologetically me and to share the amazing story that God has written in my family.  I tend to worry about offending others rather than share what he is doing in my life.  I am going to make it a priority to head in that direction.  The first step for me is that I wanted to begin a blog so I can share with you what life looks like as a Christ follower, wife, busy mom, and business owner.  I appreciate every one of you that takes the time to read what I have to share.  I am thankful for the love and support of so many that have helped me to find my voice.