Fruitful Friendships~

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if one falls, the other one will lift her up; but woe to her that is ALONE for when she falls; she doesn't have another to help her up."

I was very blessed to be able to speak to the MIssion HIlls Community Church Mom2Mom group this morning. What a wonderful group!
I spoke on developing "Fruitful Friendships" and the characteristics that develop these special relationships.

C- Usually friends come out of some kind of commonality or similarity- your life may overlap with someone who enjoys similar interests, and there is usually some commonality in lifestyle, etc.

H- Good friends HELP you emotionally! Did you know that most disorders treated by therapists/psychologists are relational in nature. Anxiety, social detachment, and depression are some of the emotional problems often resulting from relational voids!

R- Risk can take your friendship to a whole other level...it's being completely honest, authentic, genuine and truthful. It's sharing things about yourself that you may not be proud of, but it is a part of who you are.

I- Intimacy is a positive result from risking in your relationship!
You grow closer and a bond forms that is difficult to break- it's sharing your dreams, goals and fears.

S- Sacrifice and Service is what you will do for a friend..... friends bend over backwards for friends. Will you go out of your way for your friend?

T- With TIME, Trust is built. What a beautiful gift to have a friend that you can trust......someone to confide in, and share your secrets with.

"When we honestly ask ourselves which perso in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share out pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing not healing and face WITH US the reality of our POWERLESSNESS, that is a friend who cares."
Henri Nouwen

I am blessed beyond words to have my two wonderful, wacky and wise BFF's Gina and Lisa. They love me as I am and help me to be the best ME inspite of all of my weirdness. Don't we ALL need friends like these?
Take those risks and extend a hand- who knows who God will put in your path.......be open!

Thank you again to MHCC for allowing me to spend a wonderful morning with you!
Be blessed~

January 21, 2010

Happy Birthday Dad, and Happy Birthday John!

Today I attended my first class called, "Speak On Him", where I will have an opportunity to grow and develop my speaking and writing skills. I laugh because I have always disliked writing and was scared to death to speak or even be in front of others....will always rememeber crying, yes, crying when a visitor would come over to our house. We always had nice people visit, so why the crying? I was afraid...afraid of this NEW person...yes, call me a Scaredy Cat.
Also, when I was in Kindergarten, we had a Winter Play, and I remember being dressed in mittens, a big puffy jacket, a hat and a scarf (maybe even some cheesy, bright colored plastic rain boots)and we were all lined up on the side of the auditorium waiting for our turn to go up the stairs to sing, I'm guessing, and I burst out in tears....never went up on stage, either!
In Intermediate School, I have NO IDEA why I would compete in our Speech Contest, but I did. I memorized Martin Luther King's speech "I have a dream". I think I got second place, but this is where I remember my eyes starting to water whenever I spoke in front of groups...
It happened when I had to give my speech while running for ASB Vice President...I think they all felt sorry for me and voted for me....I won! ha ha

All this to say, that God has taken something that I have always feared deeply, more deeply than anyone knows and HE has turned it into a blessing that I can share-
so I'm taking this class as an act of FAITH...I don't feel truly confident about my speaking or writing skills, but I'm here anyway because of FAITH. The bible says in Matthew 17: 20 "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,you can say to this mountain,move from htere to there and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you"....I think I may have that much! :-)
Faith is ACTION- it is believing in something BEFORE you see it, it is taking a step onto a stone that you CANNOT see and onto a PATH that leads to the unknown!!!
I'm excited on this new path...scared as heck, but feeling quite alive!
I have to remember that this is a new year, and because I want new and different results, I will be doing new and different things to see those results...

Power of Prayer!

Last Thursday I was very blessed and honored to be able to speak to a MOPS group in Escondido on 'The Power of a Praying Mother". For the most part, it is taken from Stormie Omartians' book, "The Power of a Praying Parent" and from the workshop that Lisa, Gina, Tracy, Naomi and I put together almost 8 years ago....wow, does time fly!

2009 was a crazy year and I seriously questioned whether I should continue speaking or not, there is ALWAYS personal sin, feelings of inadequacy, feeling out of control, and then, my old friends, the "NOT ENOUGHS" chime in- You're not smart enough, not funny enough, not equipped enough, not Christian enough (whatever that looks like), and just not good enough. I know that when I feel that way, God takes over and uses my body to do HIS good works- I may not be enough, but He is. I may not be smart enough, but HE knows just what I need to say to those ladies, and really, we always have some laughs.
When I began speaking for MOPS I've always prayed that GOD would open the doors FOR me and I would be obedient and walk through......so I did.

I had the normal nervous stomach and fear that no one would like me or even listen to what I had to say.....but I walked into a wonderful warm room where the Moms were talking and holding babies. It was GREAT and I felt a sense of being where I was supposed to be.
Jennifer, the Speaker Coordinator walked to me and gave me a big hug- we had spoken a few days before and really connected. She introduced me and GOD took over!
When I speak on prayer, I go over 5 different points to create a strong prayer life-
1. Believe God is who HE says He is
2.Believe your child can be changed
3.Believe you can be changed
4.Fellowship/Pray with other believers
5. The words are never as important as the intention of your heart.......
something is ALWAYS better than nothing- just do it!

Here's the cool part- after I share point #4 where I encourage them to pray and stay in fellowship with other believers, I give the Moms an opportunity to share a prayer request with the mom sitting next to her....this is where I really get to see GOD's hand working and molding that clay. Women are sharing and some are crying and they are praying right there with each other.....
I recap #5 and then have all the Moms join hands and I pray over them. I am pretty lucky to be able to do this.....humbled, too.
While the Moms were doing discussion questions I typically hang out a while and am there in case anyone wants to pray together or needs anything. Jennifer came over and told me that one of the tables of ladies was going to start Stormie's book together!!! Praise God from whom all blessings flow~
Then I got an email from Jen ifer and she told me that she got the book and is going to start it with her girlfriend. Thank you Lord that you were able to use me- in all of my inequities- you are a mighty God.

It Starts TODAY!!!!!

Ok- this is it! It starts TODAY and I'm officially a writer! Ha ha! (in my own world)
But seriously, I have been wanting to write and have written notes in a variety of notebooks, stick'ems, journals, and napkins among other things and now I will have to find all of those random thoughts and put them HERE!!! Yippppeeeee!!!! (thank you Gina!)

We watched "Julie & Julia" last night and I was so inspired that this regular gal started writing, and it grew into something really beautiful..........and SHE grew along with it!

I want that...don't we all??? Well, not all of us, but I do.....I'm excited about starting a new year and a new decade. I'm excited that just by doing THIS, I've already taken a little step towards my dream- to be a writer and speaker- to inspire and encourage women all over the world!

What about YOU? What can you do differently THIS year that will make a change in YOU- THIS YEAR????
Keep dreaming, keep feeling and keep hoping.......