Vulnerability Hangover

I sat that morning with what I could describe best as a ‘vulnerability hangover.’ (Thank you Brene Brown) 

Do you know of Brene?  Check out her Ted talks here:  http://www.brenebrown.com/welcome

It was the morning after attending a challenging Why?! Event with the Girlfriendit Team.   (http://www.girlfriendit.com)

I know vulnerability is the birth place of joy and love for me and you!  Yet, I admit I am often so tempted to stay silent rather than embrace the 3 Cs Brene talks about:  Courage/Compassion/Connection….because bottom line, it is scary. 

Back to why I was sitting with a ‘vulnerability hangover.’  That night I sat around the table with some great friends as well as some strangers—some remarkable high-capacity women leaders and I listened while someone shared her story and then felt nudged to share mine and it was like a firecracker went off and sparks were flying because God was moving.  What makes us vulnerable makes us beautiful princesses!

It is risky…vulnerability that is…and it fuels our lives!

So at the moment I want to-or you want to trade in our stories..DON’T!  It is God’s story and it must be told for God to shine in this world through our COURAGE/COMPASSION/CONNECTION.

God reminded this morning as He tended to my hangover in just a few scriptures past the reminder that we are Abraham’s daughters (remember what I blogged about last week…read it here) 

God reminded me that it is all about planting seeds—tiny ones the size of a mustard seed.  These seeds will grow and become a tree and birds of the air will perch on the branches of these trees.   (Luke 13:18-19)

It takes faith as small as a mustard seed to step forth and be vulnerable and with these tiny seeds we will see God moving in the lives of those around us…

Do you see many trees and birds around you? 

How can we help each other keep planting?

Do you have a seed story to share? 

Just Squash It!

So I don’t know if it is the amount of testosterone floating around in my home since football season started or the recent reading with my boys that God decided to speak to me through simple bugs—yes BUGS!    (I will spare you a pic of this unsightly creature I saw today)

I am seriously outnumbered here in my home and even though I grew up catching bugs myself…I was a little bit of a tomboy; I am very glad to have boys around to kill the occasional cockroach, cricket or spider that crosses our path. 

Yet, this morning no one was awake as I sat reading my Bible and praying when a cockroach simply interrupted me when I caught a glimpse of it darting across the floor. 

I sat for a second and rationalized that it wasn’t something to go wake one of my bug-assassins so I grabbed a book near by and bombed the moving target.  After applying firm pressure with my bare foot to the book I felt it was safe to dispose of the bug. 

Ewwww….why am I writing about this? 

You may have guessed, it wasn’t quite dead; apparently these bugs are similar to cats and have 9-lives…for it began to scurry across the floor again after seemingly being squished to the floor.  In the seconds I watched it scurry again I heard God speak to the recesses of my heart….I know weird—

Yet, really it is not so weird; for God is in the little things of our lives just as much as He is in the big things, right?!?.  

And whether I am starring at my shoes that just squished a bug or enjoying a sunset on the beach He is with me—He is with you if you believe and call Him your Savior too.

“Some things are just hard to kill…”  I heard the Spirit speak to my heart.  These words just prior to trying to kill a bug that interrupted my reading and coffee…these words just prior to me asking God, “Why is this surfacing again?” I thought I have already dealt with this.

So I didn’t sit still for long, I came back with more force in the second squishing and succeeded and I felt God’s smile. 

You see there are negative emotions and feelings that we have that seem to resurface even after we have had time to deal with them.  I don’t know have you felt any of these feelings lately and wonder where they came from: un-forgiveness, lustful thoughts, jealousy, envy, anger, conflict, rebellion…

The Bible says we all have these emotions and we cannot ignore them (Gal 5).  And any unsettling feeling that we have is simply God moving in us by the Holy Spirit to encourage us to live with joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

You see God was reminding me of His truth to just squash it-kill it…or Gal 5:24 says to crucify my sinful nature.  And like the bug….some things just want to keep scurrying- for we have an adversary that continues to scurry.  

Let us not be discouraged when we realize we have a unbecoming emotions rising in us; but let us do what we need to do is squashing them; so that we may live by the Spirit rather than our human desires that the world will tell us are normal and thus okay to just let be.  

Remember it is the Spirit who empowers us and gives us strength to do great things for His Kindgom.  Girlfriendit Radio spoke about how God empowers us last week.  You can listen here.  

"Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." Gal 5:26

Don’t ignore it…squash it and lean into God to empower you to walk full of His love.

How do you ward off scurrying emotions that can come up from time to time, like envy? 

I would love to hear how you deal with emotions like this...I enjoy learning from others and would love to start a dialogue here.  

And to encourage comments this month, I am giving away a copy of the devotional book, titled "Big Dreams From Small Places".  Every comment will enter you in the drawing.  Share with me and others how He moves in your heart to walk with Him--together we inspire and encourage each other. 

Sprinkle On!

I’ll be honest, I have been bombarded with the realization that this Princess Path that God has carved out for me (Remember: He has a specific, Princess Path for you too) is both a privileged path and a perilous path.  (Thank you Jesus Calling for these words a few days ago).  Just because it is called the Princess Path, it is surly not a bed of roses, is it?

Sometimes quite frankly, I feel rather presumptuous about carrying out such a calling, one that has involved writing and encouraging other women, and am tempted to quit writing and scriptures like “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life…” (1Thes4:11) the enemy uses to tempt me to be quiet. 

The enemy used scriptures to tempt Jesus too, right??

Any desire to make myself famous I quite frankly want to squash so that the desire for me to make Jesus known through my life can be far greater.  Do you ever feel like this?  Are you familiar with this sort of split-personality…okay, maybe I am the only crazy one-ha!

I surely do not want my efforts to share God’s Love-Light-Life and how He motivates me to do these things during my days to be in vain.  Early on in my faith, I learned that healing takes place when I am vulnerable and share my heart with both God and others close to me.  Writing in a journal has been a part of my journey from the beginning; and I do feel a purpose in walking this Princess Path and experiencing God’s glorious presence along the way and heralding this reality to inspire other princesses.   That is what we are-you know...princesses!

I believe God has given me the gift of exhortation and even humbly I say the gift of writing when I rely on His spirit and not my strength; for I am still capable of being tongue-tied and thoughts are often clogged in my brain, and please don't ask me what a present active participle is (if you do, I will google it) but I surly do not want to just get out my megaphone or my laptop purposelessly….

So what is a girl to do? What is a princess to do?

I woke up this morning and just was crying out to God…show me God what you want me to do with this gift.  I was very honest with my need to be encouraged and helped along this path…this princess path.

After a summer taking a hiatus from writing on my blog to focus on my three little and not so little munchkins around my home; I am now feeling paralyzed-stuck and tempted to quit posting on FB and my blog.  Yet, I don’t feel completely at peace with quitting either. 

I desire dialog and it seems so many are just too busy to comment; or maybe I am not asking for comments????  

Blogger still tells me an astonishing number are reading my blog or at least visiting my page.  So what should I do???

I’m typing and processing through my thoughts as the rain pitter-patters on my windowsills and my eyes are as wet as the ground outside. 

I cannot help but reflect and remember where I have come from and my walk this morning.  Encouragement from the Lord and those He has placed along and across my path I remember…oh thank you Lord that your Word says to remember…

Duet 5:15 “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm….”

Deut 7:18, “But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.”

Deut 8:2, “Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

It isn’t supposed to be raining today, the weather man said the last of it was yesterday and I can’t help but smile thinking that God made it rain,  right now, just for me-ha!  (Every Princess needs to know that God is moving on her behalf right at some point...)

I was able to get out and still have my morning walk in between the showers and as my feet were hitting the pavement I was shooting up high my requests to God.   One of my requests was just flat out asking God for encouragement…we can do that you know?!?

I couldn’t help but be drawn to the wetness all around, probably because again my eyes and heart could identify with the soppiness. 

Then it was as if God lifted my head and my spirits by drawing my attention to the sprinklers spraying the lawn across the street. 

I felt as if God was nudging me to see the need for all kinds of watering.  God brings His encouragement once in a while in this desert with a rain storm—but the lawn still needs the sprinklers to spray the much needed water. 

I don’t know, I could be crazy but I just feel this renewed focus to keep going and be that sprinkler of words to a sea of women who may just identify with something I write and I pray they will be encouraged to seek God in His Word and experience the encouragement like rain that only come from above. 

I was reminded listening to this past week's Girlfriendit Radio Show, titled, "What Does It Take?" (you can find it here) that in order to keep pursuing the path God has for us we must keep a balance of a displaying a humble spirit, knowing we do not have all of the answers; yet also very aware that God has given us gifts and to believe not only in God who gave us these gifts but in the power that resides in us believers to use these gifts for His kingdom purposes.  

And with joy may we draw water from the wells of salvation to sprinkle on in this world.  (Isaiah 12:3)

What do you need to keep sprinkling?  

Energized!?!

Recently I was asked and challenged to think about what energizes me? 

I chatted with a group of amazing women from various age groups and women who quite frankly I am humbled to be in the same room with; for they are high-profile, astounding women of leadership in my community.   We discussed the various things that energize us.  Things like the following were mentioned:

 

*Exercise

*Time in God’s Word and prayer

*Being around and talking with encouraging women

*Knowing without a doubt that God used us to speak truth into someone’s life

*Writing

*Being around energizing people

Those are just a few and we also talked about the things that drain us; and I think it might drain me to type those right now…so I am going to move on.-ha!

Okay, it is important to be aware of what drains us so that we can keep the balance:

*Negativity

*Tough/emotional situations

*Criticism

*Lack of support

*illness

The point being that women who inspire others do a good job of balancing their ‘fills’ and ‘drains.’ 

So what drains you and energizes you? Are you making sure activities of both are in your day to keep balance?

Cathi Herrod, President of Center of Arizona Policy suggested we find out and make sure to make time for that in our day.  I was so encouraged listening to her talk and share her story as well as the highs and lows of being a woman of influence. 

I am passionate about being around healthy women and I want to be better at encouraging/inspiring healthy behavior in others.  You know when you see a woman paralyzed with fear or a heart lacking forgiveness; a healthy heart seeking God notices and desires to help bring about healing and change. 

 Don't you agree?

This reminds me of the book Mending the Soul and in it Dr. Stephen Tracy highlights the meaning of spiritual abuse and the fact that spiritual abuse is dangerous, in that it can cause people to distrust their own emotions and convictions. 

“…every individual believer has the Holy Spirit and has direct access to God 

(Romans 14:4-5, 1 John 2:27).  

Thus, every believer has a right to discern the will of God through the Scriptures and the leading of the Spirit without needing a human “priest” to intercede to God for him or her.”   

(Mending the Soul, pg. 32).

Sometimes even well meaning Christians step over this line and things like this are communicated.  How can we stop this?  What can we do about it?  Why is this important?

I am asking myself these questions and pondering God’s plan for me, seeking Him in His Word and praying….AND keeping it my focus to be around gals like Patty and Lisa who are following their own calling to empower women like me and you.  They rally us to do the remarkable by providing resources and relationships.  Do you listen to their radio show?  Check it out here.  They are two of the most healthiest women I know.

What do you think? What thoughts have stirred you and your heart?