Invisible yet Invaluable

You are invaluable even when you feel invisible. Think about this: if I were to ask you what are three things you would like to have right now, what would you say? Maybe more money, a new pair of shoes, or a different job? You could probably think of several things that would be nice to have. But, if I asked you what you value most in other people, what would you say? Chances are your first thought wouldn’t be that their car is the best thing about them, or their new computer, or fancy shoes. Instead, what you value the most in them would likely not be “things” at all. Instead, it would be their joyful demeanor, hopeful attitude, exuberant peace, trustworthiness, integrity, or compassionate nature. There is great value in those invisible things. Can you see that just because something is invisible doesn’t mean that it isn’t valuable? 
If we read about Samuel going to Jesse’s house to anoint a new king, we will see that Jesse called in seven of his sons. But, he left David working in the field with the sheep. How invisible must David have felt? But, God doesn’t need our family or friends to see our potential; He knows who He created us to be. Keep in mind that you may be anointed for a purpose, but that doesn’t mean that you will immediately be appointed to a new position. If we look at David again, after he was anointed, the next time we see him in the Scriptures, he is back in the field with the sheep. 
When you get a fresh anointing, you may have to go right back to the same job. But, don’t do that job the way you’ve always done it. Use your fresh anointing to inspire you to go to new heights. Working in the field like David was or working in a field of ministry where you find yourself now is hard work. God was preparing David to fight giants; He is preparing you for some battles also. The field will make you fit for the fight. Don’t be discouraged if you feel invisible. Let your time working in secret prepare you for the time when God will make your works known. And, if you don’t get a crown for it down here, rest assured, you’ll be rewarded in Heaven when you hear those invaluable words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into the joys of the Lord.”

A Golden Perspective

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to watch the US dive team at one of their final practices before heading to Rio. The team practiced at the Georgia Tech pool, and it was awesome to see their talents in person. These athletes are amazingly gifted!
Here is a video of Steele Johnson (on the left) and David Boudia doing one of their 10 meter platform dives. 

Amazing, right?! This is the first year that I've closely followed diving. I always enjoy watching it during the Summer Olympics, but I'm usually learning names while they're in the Olympics instead of knowing them beforehand. But, this year, I somehow saw the dive trials. The trials are the competitions that determine who will advance to the Olympics. The team in that video, Steele Johnson and David Boudia, stood out during their interviews. They always mentioned God and gave Him praise, even when they didn't do so well on their dives. I particularly remember during one round that they did not get good scores. David's response was that God knew exactly where they would be at this point, and that it was all in His control. 

Whether we are in the Olympic trials or "trials" of this life, wouldn't it be great if we all came to that same realization when we face difficult times? We may think that we haven't done well. We may even think that God is punishing us for some reason. But, we should always remember that, according to Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord knows the plans He has for us, not to harm us; but, plans to give us hope and a future. 

David and Steele ended up doing very well with their dives, and they are going to be competing in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. When they were interviewed, they said that as great as making the Olympic team is, that is not where their identities lie. They said that their identity is in Christ. They also thanked their families for the sacrifices that they've made, but said that none compared to the sacrifice that Jesus made.

When we try to accomplish things, if they don’t work out perfectly, it can be easy to allow a spirit of defeat to overtake us. Or, when things go really well, it is easy for us to allow a spirit of arrogance to overtake. But, if we are rooted in Christ, and we know that is where our identities lie, we should use all opportunities – successes and failures – to glorify God and to bring honor to Him. Then, we will not be likely to fall into despair or haughtiness. 

I was recently chosen to be on the launch team for David Boudia's new book Greater Than Gold: From Olympic Heartbreak to Ultimate Redemption. It is such an inspiring book! In it, he talks about that for years, all he cared about was winning, but that win was never good enough. There was also something more to strive for, and when that next win was accomplished, it was never fully satisfying. So then, what could possibly be greater than gold? Ultimate redemption through Jesus Christ.

The book is being released today. It is about so much more than diving. I can wholeheartedly say that it was more than I hoped for. I loved the candidness of the struggles and the triumphs and the struggles in the triumphs. I feel certain that I will read it time and again. 

I think a lot of people struggle with feelings of not having a purpose or not being fulfilled by life's accomplishments. This book will bring a brand new perspective to your purpose and your happiness. It is available at www.davidboudia.com. 

Baby Shower for Sam

This past weekend, I had the honor of co-hosting a baby shower for my sister-in-law. When planning, we hadn't decided on a theme, so our favorite invitation decided for us. These, from Vistaprint, inspired the shower theme for food and decor. 

They were the perfect fit. My sister-in-law grew up in Florida, and who doesn't love a good nautical theme anyway?!  (The one pictured is an online proof. The actual invite did, of course, include her name and the address of the venue). I knew that I wanted to create a large backdrop/centerpiece for a mantle or food table. I looked around online but didn't find exactly what I wanted, so I decided to make it myself. I'll post directions on what I did at the end of this post.

By the way, my brother brought his fancy camera for us to use so that I could get really good pictures. However, it started shooting in raw, and none of us could figure out how to make it go back to JPEG. So, we got camera phone pictures instead.

The nautical theme was carried on throughout the room with nautical pennant banners on each of the windows. Above the gift table, we had "Catches of the Day" on a red and white striped ribbon banner. The food had nautical names also: Ocean Water (blue raspberry/pineapple punch), Chicken of the Sea croissants (chicken salad), Sunset Spread (pimento cheese on toasted baguette slices), Yolk Boats (deviled eggs), Fruit Loot (fruit chunks in a boat-shaped bowl), Texas caviar, Sand and Sea cupcakes ("sand" was Fluffer Nutter and "sea" was vanilla buttercream in the cutest boat-shaped cupcake holders ever!). Here are some pictures of the wrapped utensils (complete with a life preserver) and the nautical food:

Oh, and because we didn't have enough to do that day, I also made the corsage. I called the local florist, but because it was Mother's Day weekend, they could not make a corsage for me. So, I looked up some videos on YouTube, went and bought fresh flowers and supplies, and made it myself 

I could not have done all that I did without the help of my mom, my sister, and my sister-in-law's mother. They worked tirelessly to make this an unforgettable day. Now, it's time to spoil my nephew. Gotta go!

Before I go, here are my semi-step-by-step instructions on what I did to create the nautical backdrop:

I started with foam board from Home Depot (Foamular). It is pink and ugly in the beginning. It also has a plastic film on it. 

I removed the plastic film and used Kilz white latex primer. Three coats later, it was looking decent.

Next were the nautical stripes. Standing in Wal-Mart, looking at and comparing masking tape to painter's tape, I tried to decide if painter's tape was worth the extra money. Then, I saw 2" masking tape and had an "Ah, ha!" moment. I would double it up (lined side-by-side) and use the part it covered for the white lines, greatly reducing the amount of actual measuring (and keeping straight lines) across all three boards. I used English Navy acrylic paint for the blue, and it was perfect.

The navy looks a bit darker in this picture than it actual is. I was completely thrilled with the way they turned out - especially that all of the lines were straight across all three boards. Thank God for small miracles. :) Next, I added the embellishments. The life preservers came from Oriental Trading. I handcrafted the anchor from cardboard. I used a large mug to measure the top circle, a yard stick for the center of the anchor, a hand-drawn stencil for the bottom part of the anchor, and a doTERRA bottle cap for the little circles toward the top of the anchor. Obviously, I don't know the names of the anchor parts (or, if they actually have names), but I hope you were able to follow along. After it was drawn, I cut it out using a razor blade and a pair of scissors. Next, I used the same primer as I used on the boards to paint it. Then, I brushed on Elmer's glue and glitter-ized it.

To attach the life preservers, I used anchor-printed navy blue ribbon that I found at Wal-Mart. I looped it through the preserver, then hot glued the ribbon to the back of the foam board. I used sprayed adhesive to attach the anchor. Of all of the crafts that I've done, this is in my top three favorites. 

   

Are you dreaming big enough?

 A few days ago, a friend of mine posted an inspirational picture with text on Facebook. It was a quote by Earl Nightingale that read, “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” Then, I read a newsletter by Tommy Barnett. I would like to share part of it with you: A challenge: Dream a dream so big only God can fulfill it. Dreams are not merely the nightly thoughts you experience as the brain sorts out the day's events. They are the goals and visions that fire your heart and saturate your soul with joy at the very thought of them. They are those continuing visions of what you want your life to be at its highest level of fulfillment--what you want to do, how you want to do it, what kind of person you want to become in the process.

Your destiny and reason for living are wrapped up tightly in your dreams and desires, like the genetic information inside a seed. That dream in your heart contains your spiritual "DNA," the very blueprint for who you are. Your dream did not even originate with you. It resides within you, but God put it there. He is the source of your dream. When people dream without God, they find it hollow and unsatisfying. Every person must come to Jesus for his or her dream to make sense. In fact, without Jesus, you might follow a dream for your life that God never put in your heart.

Not every dream is from God. There is such a thing as godless dreams. But when your dream is God's dream, it's unstoppable. The most common and most crucial question is, "How do I know which dreams in my heart are from God?" Here is the answer. You will know it's God's dream if: 1) It is bigger than you, 2) You can't let it go, 3) You would be willing to give everything for it, 4) It will last forever, 5) It meets a need nobody else has met, 6) It brings glory to God.

The first test you can apply to your dream is: "Is it too big for me to fulfill without God's help?" If you can do it without His help, you are not dreaming big enough. If it's much bigger than you, you are on the right track. The Bible promises that all things are possible with God. Does your dream go beyond you enough to qualify for God's help? Your dream should be so big that it takes your breath away, makes you temporarily weak in the knees, and makes you cry out to God for help and guidance. Are you dreaming big enough?

Are you headed for divorce?

Calvin and I were at Applebee’s for dinner one evening last week. There was a girl who was close to our table, talking to another diner. She told him, “I’m married now. I was the best girlfriend ever. But, I’m not the best wife.” She said it multiple times. It really got under my skin. Why in the world would you not put effort into being the best wife that you could be? And, even if you knew you weren’t all you could be, why would you admit that to a random person? Although I did not say this to her, she went on in her conversation to say, “It doesn’t matter. I’ve got him now.” She must not know the current divorce rate in the United States. I can’t imagine promising my husband, God, and witnesses that I would love my husband forever and then not put every effort into nurturing that relationship.

Then, tonight in my prayer time, that scenario came across my mind again. I began to wonder, is that the way that we as Christians treat our bridegroom? I’ve heard it said time and again that the key to a successful relationship is communication. We pray and worship Christ to get close to him at the beginning of the relationship. We know that we need to spend time and effort to make sure that Jesus is in our hearts. But, then as soon as we’re sure we’ve got him, do we fail to do anything to develop an intimate relationship with him? Think about it this way: if Christ was your groom in the flesh, would you be headed for divorce? Need help to know how to speak to him? Set aside five minutes each day to pray. You will be amazed how quickly your relationship with him begins to flourish. Don’t get a divorce; renew your vows.

How Delightful!

“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 NIV. This is one of my favorite verses. I found this story online: If you take delight in the Lord (and that’s easy to do!), He will tend to the desires of your heart. So, does that mean He’ll give us everything we ask for in prayer? Not necessarily. The scripture doesn’t promise that He’ll give us everything we ask for, but it does say that He will tend to the desires of our heart. Recently, a lady called in to a local Christian radio station to share about how she had prayed for a couple of years about her family’s finances, their car problems, bills they had to pay, and things her family needed. She became frustrated when she didn’t feel that her prayers were being answered, and she found herself upset with God. While sharing her frustrations in prayer, she felt God asking her what she truly desired in life. She answered that her true desires were for her children-that they would be healthy and do well in life. As she responded, she realized that God had known what truly mattered to her and had indeed been looking after her children. She was quite moved by this experience, especially since it was the first time she felt God personally in her life.

This experience changed her heart and her outlook. She began praising God as she saw the many ways He’d been blessing her. She’d been too focused on the negatives to see the positives. And then an amazing thing happened. As she began trusting God with her deepest desires, He began to help her in other areas of her life. Their financial situation has now greatly improved, as she has continued to praise and trust Him, He has blessed her in many other ways too.

In my life, I’ve recently received a blessing that I didn’t even ask for. I had started a Couch to 5K program. I began running so that I can pass the PT for promotion at work. I always do better when I have someone to workout with me who will motivate and push me to do give it my all. But, with my odd schedule of working mostly evening/night hours, it is hard to find a workout buddy who is available when I am. But, a Facebook friend posted that she was looking for a workout buddy to run/walk with. So, I sent her a message, and we’ve been running 4 times in the past week. Today, while we were running, she mentioned that we should come up with Scriptures of the week to memorize as we run. How wonderful is it that God reunited me with a Christian runner. I didn't even know to ask for it when I prayed. But, God knew what my heart’s desire would be. Remember, put your trust in God in the big things and the little things. He cares about it all, and He knows us better than we know ourselves.

Free?! I'll take two!

One of my favorite pastimes is shopping, even if it’s just window shopping. Actually, window shopping may be my favorite kind of shopping because it’s the least expensive. Often times when I shop for groceries, I buy the store brand instead of the national brands. The more expensive, national brands are replaceable. You can substitute the store brand, and it usually is just as good. But, in this life, there is one thing that there is no substitute for:  the precious blood of Jesus. You see, He has already purchased our redemption with His own blood. 

A song says, “No other blood can heal my broken body, and no other blood could save my sin-sick soul. No other blood could conquer death and win the victory. No other blood but the blood Jesus shed for me.” He has already paid the ultimate price and has given each of us the best gift of all. If there was something in a store that was guaranteed to make your life happier, more peaceful, more lively would you not want to buy it? Then, what if you found out that it was free? Would you just leave it in the store’s window? No way! Why do we do that with the wonderful gifts that God has given? It begins with redemption. But, it does not end there. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV says, “For I know the plans I have for you,“ declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” You may say, “But, I’ll have to change my life to live in that redemption.” Yes, your life will change. But, that’s the best part!