Category Archives: God

Be Seeking Solitude

I ain’t small. 

I can use a gym voice.  

I have spent a plethora of time in gymnasiums and ice rinks.  

I love chatting to strangers and hearing others stories.  

I have filled a whole bunch of air with my words.  

Through the inspiring women currently surrounding me, I am realizing that solitude and silence fills the air with more.  

My words matter when there are less of them, leaving space for others.  

My being matters when there is less of me “out there”. 

Solitude is my sanctuary.  

Silence is my place to be.  

Seeking solice in space within. 

Re-reading books for a second time, which is unheard of for me. 

Pondering Henri J.M Nouwen’s words on silence: 

“Silence makes us pilgrims.

Silence guards the fire within.  

Silence teaches us to speak. 

Silence is the mystery of the future world.”

Be seeking solitude.  

In silence.  

Being me.  

———-

With gratitude for showing me the beauty and safety of silence: Annette and Miriam. (You can find Miriam at: http://www.miriamdesjardins.com

Be Open to Feel and to the Endless Possibilities

I have had my feelings hurt many times recently.

I wasn’t sure why.

I ponder these words.

Tonight, I had an aha moment when I realized I get hurt because I am open.

I allow people to tell me about myself.

I permit them to tell me things because it is easier for them.

I have heard that if I lose more weight I will look old.

I have listened as people questioned what I eat.

I have allowed conversation about how I organize my calendar. (Yes, I have colours for each wee boy so that I can keep everyone’s schedule straight.)

I choose to continue to be open.

I choose to deeply feel.

I am no longer taking the easy road or trying to make people feel “comfortable” at the expense of my feelings.

I continue to allow and encourage people to talk about themselves.

I am learning strategies to stop people from talking about and judging me.

I realize that people are hurting deep inside and makes it hard for them to talk about themselves.

I realize that being an open person makes people uncomfortable.

I realize that my life of freedom living with endless possibilities is disconcerting for some.

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And yes, I am going to die my hair a strip of purple to show remind me of my ‘shield of faith’.  (with my stylist)

Being open.

No longer hurting.

Feeling.

All things are possible!

Glory.

Be a Creator not a Consumer

Created by the Creator.

To dream.

Ponder.

Live abundantly.

Love deeply.

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Our world tell us that we were create to consume.

Buy more.

Have more.

Do more.

And more.

And more.

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Make a choice to create.

Write.

Paint.

Garden.

Move.

Speak.

We are truly meant to be creators.

My heart overflows as I write each day.

Peace pours over me as I watch my children build paper cities.

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I love exploring what it means to be a creator created by our Creator of life!

Be a Motivational Philosopher

Forty-one years old.

I have figured out what I want to “be” in this life!

I want to use my ever-thinking, hardcore mind to write.

Using every word I utter to encourage and inspire.

Pouring light into every person I pass and meet.

Being vulnerable and open myself first to bring that out in others.

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I want to motivate others to find freedom through whatever means works for them.

My company has solutions for everyone.

Untying knots that hold people back.

Shaking things up.

Agent of change.

Helping people dream and achieve their goals.

Achieving my goal of spending more time with that hardworking man behind me!

Using my gift of being a motivational philosopher.

Being.

Me.

Be Believing in You! 

If we don’t believe in ourselves first, Who will?

If we deeply believe in ourselves, Who could stop us?

Belief is a choice. 

Belief is an attitude. 

Belief is power.  

Belief is unstoppable. 

I am not the most gifted nor talented person in my fields, but I do have unshakeable belief.  

Belief in God. 

Belief that I am uniquely made. 

Belief I have gifts to share. 

Belief I am ENOUGH!  

 

Be Asking One Question

I truly believe I can help people.

I never really ‘knew’ how.

I never have felt that I could do enough as a teacher.

In the church, I felt like I never had a gift or a talent.

I could make a joyful noise to the Lord, but was never musical or led to anything else.

Until last November, I didn’t know how I could SERVE other people in this world with love, and endless energy…

Forty pounds overweight, still in deep grief over the loss of my mama that happened not a year previous, I asked my outdoor fitness trainer, Krista King, what I thought was a simple question: “Have you ever done a cleanse?”

That question that was asked through my pain, my mud-pit of wave-crashing despair opened up a completely NEW world and pried open a completely OLD ME!

Since that ONE conversation and the products she told me about, the layers have peeled back.

I was LOST but am now FOUND!

Me.

Freedom.

Food.

Health.

Relationships.

And yes, some residual income for my family.

All just by making asking one question.

And then making one choice.

One choice for…

Me.

The layers were peeled back and I saw:

Ten year old me that loved to drink vanilla shakes every day.  NOW, I have the privilege to drink nutritious vanilla shakes EVERY day and maybe throw in some chocolate or strawberry, if I FEEL like it.

Eighteen year old competitive volleyball player me who wanted to lead, but was surrounded by negative self-talk and unbelief. NOW, I believe in the power of me and am surrounded by positive people who believe in me, themselves and want to lead AND serve others around them.

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(I am #12 in the photo, gotta love those bum huggers)

Twenty year old me who fought on the volleyball court to perform every weekend, but just could never pull it together for two matches because of the fuel in her body.  NOW, I have completed one triathlon and I truly know that my forty-one year old body can do ANYTHING.

Thirty-nine years old, overweight, actually obese for my height, me, was using food to fill an empty hole.  I was looking for food to magically do “something”.  NOW, I have food that fuels me.  I have food that brings me freedom in thought and spirit through shake and cleanse days, protein bars, electrolyte drink and fifty MORE products.

Forty-one years old, I have transformed my body, my mind and my spirit.  I have bought a bikini with confidence just because I can.  I have walked down the main street with no “noise” in my head about what I look like or how I feel about what I look like.

FREEDOM!

I have helped myself and now I know that I can help people.   And yes, this product line does involve network marketing, which I love and you can read my blog about it here.

With the company I am partnering with, the opportunities are endless.  Aging well, being healthier, having more energy, performing better, losing weight or adding a few bucks to your pockets to bless people with, the possibilities are limitless.

I am humbled.

I am grateful.

I am ready to serve anyone that wants an opportunity like I was given just seven months ago.

Don’t be afraid to take the time to listen to your body and its needs.

Don’t be afraid to ask a question.

One question changed my life!

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1st photo: After my first cleanse in November… and still going strong seven months later.

2nd photo: One week after my mom died.  (Who knows why I took this one?)

Be Trying a Tri 

In the post-Christmas darkness of grief, I took time to sit with myself, alone to ponder and grieve.  As I let go through this grieving process, I had one huge realization that has affected ever day for the last four months.

I realized for certain I could die at any moment.

Strange huh?

I knew this fact about life, but watching my mom die helped me ‘know’.

Now, I am unafraid.

Death is a certainty.

I am free!

Through this new lense of “knowing” the inevitable,  I am experiencing rich days.

Days where God’s coincidences are profound and His love is pouring out.

Moments where I can easily let go of relationships that are unhealthy or where people don’t accept me as being an imperfect person.

Choices where I choose health in what I consume and what I do.

Times where I make decisions and then work hard to see them come to fruition.

Today is one of these days!

Four months ago, I decided to do a triathlon.  A 750 metre swim, followed by a 30 kilometre bike ride then rounded out by a 5 kilometre run.  The funny thing is that I am not very good at any of them, but I figure throw them all together and this sounded like fun.

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With my cheering section at the side of the race course, and the incredible racers surrounding me.  I did it!

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I tried a tri!

One stroke.

One push.

One step at a time.

Ann Voskamp once wrote, “Daily discipline brings freedom.”

Yes, it does.

Discipline to be who you are with the gifts God has given you.

Knowing the truth about life’s fragility.

Savouring every day.

What will you try?

Be Knowing God is with YOU 

Two friends are sitting by their mama right now as she recovers from surgery to remove cancer from her breast.  

Living in the unknown. 

Another friend is at home trying to grasp the sudden death of a thirty something neighbour.  She was one of the first on the scene.  

Living with the unknown.  

Yet another friend contemplates leaving a job that has almost destroyed her yet she felt called to do.  

Just not knowing which way to go.  

And today I went to the store to buy a dish dryer.   I didn’t find one.  

A few hours later, I was riding my bike down the road and look what was lying on the side of the road:  

  

A very small daily reminder that God knows my needs and He is with Me. 

Living in the unknown?

Living with the unknown? 

Not knowing which way to go?

Just take one step.  

And another.  

Listen.  

Look around you.  

You will be amazed at what you see. 

And what if you don’t see? 

Ask God to help you?  

He loves you.