When I find myself questioning what to do in a particular situation, I think about what Jesus would say. Somehow everything seems much simpler when I try to see the situation from his perspective. As I am contemplating a decision, I ask myself if Jesus would approve of how I am dealing with the situation. It only takes a few seconds for me to determine if he would approve. When I start negotiating with myself it is time to develop another plan! When things are difficult at home, I ask myself what Jesus would say about my parenting. Am I…
For those who follow my journey, you know that I often write about love. I am not speaking of romantic love, but rather having love for others. A love for others despite any conflicting views or judgments. I am always challenging myself to focus more on Jesus. It is not an easy process for me, distractions are always interfering. I center my thoughts on being grateful and turn to prayer. In order to focus on love, I have to let go of frustrations, stress, worry, and anger and move toward forgiveness and compassion. I am forever reminding myself to be…
When faith is first in your life, the unknown is far less scary. As you give up control and rely on Jesus clues are given and signs appear that help you find your way and prepare you for what’s to come. I listen and am alert to different clues that arise. There is a lot of noise that attempts to pull me off track, but when I am drawn to something, I do my best to follow the lead. I remember having this unusual desire to go buy a book from a bookstore. Bookstores are not something I frequent…
Each of us faces our own personal struggles. Some of us may have similar issues, but we have our unique set of circumstances. We really don’t know what other people are going through because we are not walking in their shoes. Despite only knowing our personal issues, everyday struggles are real. Some days the conflict seems to weigh us down. We try to work through the obstacles, yet more issues arise. It might seem like prayers are not answered or worse, not heard. Jesus has a plan for each of us. His plan may not work with our time…
We all have a choice about how we approach death and our feelings of guilt, anger, relief, sorrow, contentment, etc. Although my late husband’s death was sudden and unexpected, I was fortunate to know that he did not want to survive on life support. A part of me feels a bit embarrassed to say that I don’t ever remember talking to him about faith. We never had a need to talk about it because we lived it. I saw him live life with love. We both knew we would be married in a church, but rarely attended unless…
If you were to ask me years ago if I had idols in my life I would have laughed and said, “No!” In hindsight, I always said that my family was first in my life. I lived my life full of faith, but my family took that top spot. I didn’t realize the importance of always putting my faith first until I worked with Mary Kay Cosmetics. My faith was strong and present, but I never verbalized it as being first in my life. The strength of my faith was definitely “in the closet.” It was the top leadership…
Some time ago I heard a quote from Radhika Reddy, “You are not always going to be able to do what you love, but you can love what you do.” For most of my life, I have loved what I have done. I find something that makes me happy and I keep myself focused on enjoying what I do. Many times it is the people that I am with that allow me to love what I do. I don’t remember saying yes or no to a job because of the product or service. My focus was always on the…
Many times in direct marketing I have heard people say that they were at the point of giving up, but they pushed through. If they had not connected with a few more people they would never have experienced being a top leader. Being persistent with a positive attitude, humble heart, and genuine gratitude goes a long way in business. How does that philosophy relate to everyday life? Might it be that we all need a reason to keep moving forward? What is it in our life that pushes us to want to get up in the morning and take steps…
We all are enough and we all matter, so why have enemies? Being angry and holding a grudge takes too much energy. Energy that we could be focusing on love and compassion. Anger, violence, and revenge are hurtful to all involved. Revenge doesn’t help the situation or make anyone feel better about themselves. Negative actions only put more stress on the already tense relationship. It is overwhelming how much energy is wasted among couples, families, and friends that cultivate stress and anger in their relationships. Living in that toxic environment is exhausting and can become paralyzing. Treat those that…
One reason love is a mandatory ingredient in my life is because we all are good enough for Jesus. We might think about those who have treated us poorly or are not walking the “right” path according to our standards, but we all have an opportunity to be with Jesus. For most of my life, I didn’t fully understand how important it is to lead a life with love. I understood being nice and kind to others, but I was not living my life with love in my heart for all. Inner peace grows within you when you start…