Don’t Stop Too Soon

Thank you Sharon Jaynes for today’s message:

Can I make a confession? Sometimes I quit too soon. I’ve quit when what I really needed to do was to press on and press through. Sometimes I’ve gotten tired of trying. Sometimes I’ve gotten tired of the struggle. And you know what? I’ve missed many blessings because I got tired of the battle. I don’t want to do that any longer. I’m taking my cues from Joshua.

The battle plan to take the Promised Land was as simple as it was strange. March around the city of Jericho with all the armed men. Do this in silence, once a day for six days. Then on the seventh day, walk around seven times with the priests blowing the trumpets. Have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go straight in.

Now, that was a strange plan. God’s infinite ways often don’t make sense in our finite minds. Sometimes you have to be willing to look ridiculous and be radical to live a remarkable life. The choices you make when you feel God’s nudge will become the hinges on which your destiny swings. Each individual decision you make, to obey or ignore God’s promptings and directives, is a thread that weaves the tapestry of your life.

Jericho was tightly shut up. Sometimes it can feel that our promises are tightly shut up. That doesn’t mean that we give up. That means that we suit up, step up, and keep moving forward.

God said, “See, I have delivered them into your hands.” Notice that verb tense. God did not say, “I will deliver them into your hands.” He said, “I have delivered them into your hands.” He had already done it, but they had to obey and put their foot down to receive it. I love how God speaks in past tense to our present problems.
But here’s the conundrum: What do you do when what God says doesn’t match up with what you see? When all you see is a big wall standing between your promise and your present situation?

There will be times when you are doing everything you know to do, and you still don’t see any movement. The Israelites walked around Jericho for six days, and as far as they could tell, nothing happened. I’m sure it unnerved the people behind the wall, but as far as the walkers could tell, not one brick fell.

This is where many give up—when they don’t see any progress. The son is still taking drugs. The daughter is still living with her boyfriend. The husband is still cold and aloof. The bank account is still hovering on in double digits.

“God, throw me a bone,” I cry. “Show me a little something! Let me see just a hint of progress! Can I see one brick fall?” And God says, “Keep walking … by faith.”

Just because you don’t see God working does not mean that He isn’t. Jesus said, “My Father is always at work” (John 5:17). The writer of Hebrews notes: “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35).

Today, you might be on lap number seven and not even know it. Joshua told them to march around Jericho, but he didn’t tell them how many times they were going to have to do it. He just said to “march forward” and “remain silent.”

Supposed they had stopped on day six saying, “This is ridiculous. I’m not feelin’ it. Not one stone has fallen to the ground. I don’t see any progress. Those folks are probably in there laughing their heads off. I’m going home.”

They would have missed the blessing.

I wonder how many times I have missed the blessing because I stopped too soon. Perhaps you’ve wondered:

How much longer will I have to wait until God brings my prodigal home?
How much longer will I have to struggle with this unbelieving husband?
How much longer will I have to endure this dead-end job?
How much longer will I have to go without a job?
How many more laps will I have to walk around Jericho before the walls come tumbling down and I can take hold of my Promised Land?
I don’t know the answer to the question of how much longer, but I do know this, tomorrow could be the final lap. Don’t give up too soon.

Can I tell you something? Sometimes I get tired of writing books, posting devotions, and crafting blogs. But as I sit down to the keyboard, I realize that something I say might be just what someone needs to take that last lap around her walled up promise. So I write. And then someone has the courage and sustenance to take one more lap.

Keep going, my friend!

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

My Thirty One Anniversary

Struggling with trying to remember BUT grateful I have blogged about this before.

On February 7th, 2011, I talked to Hope Shortt. See, the truth is I joined Thirty One in 2009 and didn’t do much with it.  Yup, I was probably known as a kitknapper. I had a few sales but nothing much and it wasn’t long before I went inactive.

I can’t remember exactly how or why it all happened – God had a plan.  I starting following Hope on Facebook and I read her story.  I had a conversation with her and told her I wanted to join her Thirty One team. She asked me “what my why” was? I mean we ask people all of the time, “What is YOUR why?”. I was nervous and this people pleasing person told her I wanted to earn some extra money. The truth was, deep down I wanted to have a big dream but fear and doubt crept in.  So, I settled on sharing the products at vendor/craft shows, not wanting to do home parties and really not interested in having a team. I was a full time COO (Chief Operating Officer) of a non-profit, who had time for much of anything.  I figured the recruiting aspect was taken care of because it was just one day prior to the FREEZE which was a relief. I had been doing craft/ vendor shows for over 20 years, so it was going to be easy. Hope listened and said she would be there to help when I needed her. No pressure just support and kindness.

So started the journey with Thirty One – Round 2.  I did vendor events, lots of them, selling but still NOT booking parties.  Fear and doubt were my friends.  I didn’t have much confidence – I know amazing, right?  This was so far out of my comfort zone.

I got my my first TWO potential recruits during the freeze.  I was honest with both of them from the start. I wasn’t doing home parties and I was going to learn along with them. Believe it or not, they still joined as soon as the freeze lifted and quickly qualified with $1,000 in sales each. I was now a Senior Consultant. I wasn’t sure what it meant but it was okay.  I was having fun and slowly building confidence.  One of my first home office leads was for a HOME PARTY! Panic set in… it was someone I didn’t know and I was clueless. I had never done a home party. I could do this… and I DID! I stumbled my way through it – no additional booked parties or recruits but I had sales and it was kind of fun.

My FIRST Thirty One National Conference was August of 2012.  It was there I set a goal and decided to dream big and go for Leadership. The goal was to be Director BEFORE National Conference 2013. The stats say those who go to national conference earn more – TRUE! Those who go to national conference – PROMOTE – TRUE! October, 2012 I was DIQ and in January 2013, I was blessed to earn my $1,000 Director Bonus. It was a whirlwind time filled with lots of emotions. I had gained confidence as a consultant but being a Director brought new fears and challenges.

National Conference 2013 with my daughter and members of the Rays of Hope Team. I walked across stage and was CELEBRATED as a NEW Thirty One Director. Tears of joy flowed freely all weekend and continue each time I think back to the moment. Hope Shortt, my National Executive Director, hugged me on stage.  I struggle with memories but the emotion of walking across the stage stays with me bringing me to tears each time I think of it.

Since then my why has changed so much. I no longer work full-time and we rely on my Thirty One business as the second income in the house.  It pays bills and allows us to travel a little bit.

I still sometimes struggle with my “why” and learning to DREAM BIG. I still get nervous before a Home party.  I continue to work on personal development because inner gremlins along with fear and doubt still on occasion haunt me.  I am blessed with a sisterhood across the country who helps me when I am struggling, who celebrates with me and who encourages me when the struggle is real.  My team continues to grow and inspires me everyday.  They accept me for who I am and have helped me to learn to love me for me.I would say the biggest blessing from my Thirty One business is the restoration of a confidence in myself I lost when I was in HIGH SCHOOL. Yes, I have earned FREE products! Yes, I have been able to pay off debt & travel as a result of my commission checks!  Yes, I have found a sisterhood I didn’t know existed in my Thirty One sisters! Yes, I have grown in my walk with God, learning to trust and believe his will will be done in my business! These are all the things Thirty One has blessed me with…. it CHANGED MY LIFE. Could it be the think that changes your life?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Growing Pains. #Throwback

This is a Throwback Thursday post… this post originally appeared in my blog in 2013 when I first started blogging.  Funny how things sometimes come full circle and God SMACKS you on the head!  I hope you enjoy this:

No, this is not a blog about the 70’s sitcom. It is actually about a God moment that I had during church. The sermon in a sentence was: If you are going to grow, the ministry MUST be shared. WOW! I thought this was a message just for me – a personal smack in the head from God! On the surface, I am good with change but deep down in my core – I don’t like it. I mean who does, right?

Pastor Al shared this “people in our lives are making our parachutes, God puts them there for a reason and sometimes only for a season”. He was talking about all of the changes that took place in our church over the last several months. Change is good, it shakes things up and gives us a new perspective on life. With growth sometimes comes conflict, it is inevitable. So here are some tips on dealing with conflict that I am going to apply to my business and personal life.

Here is what NOT to do when there is a conflict:

• Don’t play the BLAME game. GUILTY! When there is conflict, I have found myself talking (venting) to other Directors, family and friends about the situation – blaming the other person without taking responsibility for my part in the conflict.
  Don’t be part of the “team split”. As my team grows, there is going to be a natural team split – in a good way. To squash conflict – don’t feed into the team split with the “blame game” or “I am going to take my ball and go home attitude”. Don’t make team members take sides.
• Don’t try to stop the growth. Growth is good! Don’t try to slow it down by not recruiting or sharing your companies opportunity with others.
  Don’t lose focus. Remember your personal “WHY” and what your personal goals are instead of focusing on the conflict. God has a plan for you, personally and professionally, so do not let others steer you off course.
• Don’t overlook the needs of others. Leaders lead differently. Some team members may be attracted to the style of others which is different from yours. Does that mean your aren’t a good leader? CELEBRATE – ENCOURAGE – REWARD everyone despite the conflict. WOW! This was a double smack because I tend to take things personally!

Here is what you should do:

• Reaffirm your calling. What is God’s plan for you? Are you willing to forgo his plan while you “sit on the pity pot” during a conflict.
• Affirm the value of everyone even the negative Nellies on your team. They are your team for a reason – it may be help them or it may be the sandpaper that you need to help YOU grow. Everyone matters.
• Finally, attack the problem rather than each other. Determine what the problem is and work to find a solution to the problem.

Thank you God for using Pastor Al to get my attention. This is an area that I need to work on and these are some great tips. I know that the original message was meant for the members of the congregation but it definitely hit home with me. Are you suffering from GROWING PAINS – professionally or personally? We would love to hear from you.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Throwback Thursday – Celebrate the Ones You Love

Since I am still floating in my pink bubble, I decided to do a “Throwback Thursday” post which seemed so appropriate.  This is from July 21, 2013 – the first year I started blogging. Funny that this is about preparing to go to National Conference and this year, I am recouping after being away.

Sunday is my time to reflect, relax and recharge. Every morning I get several emails on daily devotions – I know why do I need some many, right? I find that each one touches me in a way the others couldn’t when I am struggling. As I head off to church this morning, my mind is racing with the TO DO list for the next two days as I prepare to leave for HOTLANTA on Wednesday. In all of the busyness, there is one message that stuck out for me – a “Message from God” that is short, sweet and to the point.

Today, Hope, we believe God wants you to know that … you cannot let this day pass without telling the people you love that you love them. Do not take for granted the people closest to your heart. Nothing is permanent, celebrate them now.

Life gets in the way for all of us – We forget to call family and friends thinking we will get to it later. We forget to send that email to let someone know we are thinking of them. We miss sending a birthday card and then figure if it is late, why bother. Errands, work, the mom taxi, doctors appointments, etc all keep us busy. Then something stops you in your tracks – a call about a friend who is sick, a family member in the hospital, a posting on Facebook that a fellow classmate has died too soon. SMACK! The reality hits that time has slipped by – days, weeks, months and you have lost touch with those you love or who are the closest to your heart.

Take time today to pause for a moment – make that phone call, send that email, mail a card just to say I was thinking about you. CELEBRATE the people in your life that are closest to your heart. Don’t let the miles, however large or small, get in the way of letting them know you care.

Today, I will CELEBRATE – ENCOURAGE – REWARD those in my life who are the closest to my heart. How about you? Have a ThirtyOne-derful day.

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Reward Yourself

It is FRIDAY!  You have worked hard whether you are a stay at home mom or you punch a time clock from 9AM – 5PM.  If you have taken any of my challenges this week, you have definitely worked hard.  Personal growth is tough.  Take it from one who knows!

Whenever you accomplish something, you should reward yourself.  I know you are thinking – no time, no money, right?  Maybe you are thinking “I didn’t do anything worth celebrating this week”.  The truth is that there is always something to CELEBRATE.  It can be getting to the gym for workout, getting caught up on the household chores or maybe you just feel good.

Rewarding yourself on a weekly basis can be beneficial for your mood, and your motivation. You deserve it, so here are 20 ways to do it…

1. Get a manicure. Homemade, in front of the television or at the salon, it will make you feel great instantly.  I make a mess with nail polish so I save time by using Jamberry.

2. Take a bubble bath. The ultimate relaxation, and take your time!

3. Put money aside for a trip. Saving a specific amount each week will help you achieve a bigger treat like a trip.

4. Go out for dinner. Whether it is to your favorite restaurant, to your mom’s house, or to eat fast food…

5. Indulge in a sweet treat. Or salty. And don’t feel guilty about it.

6. Watch a movie in bed. Slip in your comfiest pajamas and enjoy.

7. UNPLUG!!! Take time off the Internet. We all need a break from the outside world, and during that time, you’ll be able to do anything, and you won’t be disturbed.

8. Read a book. Or a magazine.

9. Pick up flowers at your local market. This little attention will bring joy into your home.

10. Listen to loud music. And don’t forget to dance!

11. Have a glass of wine. Invite your friends for dinner, and chat with them.

12. Wander around town. There are probably many areas that you’ve never seen. A little bit of surprise can’t hurt.

13. Look at old memories. This is a great way to make you smile.

14. Call a friend or a family member. Someone you haven’t talked to in a while, or someone you talk to every day.

15. Cook your favorite meal. And don’t forget to turn the music on while you cook!

16. Sleep 15 more minutes. Or go to sleep early.

17. Write in a diary. It is so liberating, and very amusing to read later in your life.

18. Organize a picnic. What better way to enjoy the weather?

19. Go to the cinema.

20. Go shopping. Window shop and try clothes on that are “not your usual style”.  Who knows you may find something you like.

Rewarding yourself doesn’t have to take a lot of money, it is a chance to pamper you.  The CELEBRATE your awesomeness.

What will you do to REWARD yourself this weekend?

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!