Firsts.......Firsts..........Firsts...

Life is racing by.  Sometimes I just want to press "pause". The kids are both in a phase of changing rapidly, experiencing new things constantly and just growing up and up..

 Hunter is junior lifeguarding - learning to teach swim lessons and paving the way to becoming a full fledged life guard when he turns 16 in June.  He does this 2 nights a week.  A great experience, and is learning a lot about teaching kids to swim. 

This says Hello Straight Teeth on the welcome board. 

Lindsay with her 4 braces on her front teeth. She has head gear to wear for sleeping. 

These new adventures in their lives mean bigger things are around the bend.  They are milestones into becoming adults.  And this mama can't help but to be proud and sad all at once! Today while at the doctor's office, someone was bringing in their 6 mo old baby boy for a well check.  As I talked to the mom and enjoyed the baby -- I thought don't blink ---- it goes so fast.  My babies were both just 6 months old the other day....

Life lessons to stop and enjoy these moments and milestones.  Thankful I have a job that is flexible to allow me to not miss these moments.  The small moments add up to who they'll be someday - what they will stand for, how they will live, and the impact they will have.

I saw an article that caught my eye this morning that said -- you think you are a bad parent? Or you question your parenting effectiveness?  I do this all the time --- wonder if when they are 35 they will laugh at me or need therapy for all the dysfunctional moments we have.  But this article said that by questioning yourself --- you are proving that you are a good parent by questioning yourself and rechecking in with yourself.  Constant tweeking.

I think that's what parenting takes -- constant tweeking.  Just when I think I have one of the kids figured out, they change and outgrow that stage.  So again we are reconfiguring.

Tweek on......

Obstacles that are really lies

I shared with you last week some notes from my bible study Undanted By Christine Caine.

This was our final lesson today. I have to say this bible study has made a lot of things clear, but also muddied the water as well as stirred it all up together.  I see clearly that I have a purpose and that I think I need to go after that purpose, but the HOW always halts you in your tracks.

One of the final thoughts (how I interpreted it, not the rest of the group - I know, shocker) was about obstacles.  It was a list of common obstacles.  I looked at these obstacles and thought, "what do each of these things look like in real life"?

For example - unforgiveness.  What would a person that has trouble forgiving look like on the inside? Maybe hard hearted.  Maybe bitter.  And so on and so on.  I kind of did a character sketch on each one of these.  My reasoning? To be able to help people more effectively.

Here's the list we had:

• Unforgiveness
• Bitterness
• Shame
• Fear
• Guilt
• Rejection 
• Hurt

2 points to these that I realized after doing my study and my sketches.  IF you have these in your life AND we ALL do........ 

YOU ARE STUCK.  

The stronghold of this list are LIES. 

We learned last Sunday at Church that all a stronghold is - is a LIE.  It is meant to deceive you.  It is meant to make you STUCK.  Nothing on this list is from God. 

No more.  It's time to be free.  No more duct tape, packing tape, webs. 

FREE to do what God has next in your life.  Are you free?  

Austin, here we come!

Insane.... insane......insane. Loving my insane life.

A few weeks ago, I was feeling very discontent. I posted about that in  my post called God's Up to Something Big

Fast forward ----- I received a personal phone call from IF: Gather saying that Jen's registration was processed as was mine.  We are IN!! We are going to Austin!

What is this conference?  It's called IF:Gather.  Founded by Jennie Allen IF exists to:

• GATHER &
• EQUIP &
• UNLEASH next generation of women to live out their purpose

Sounds like what should be next, don't you think?  

You too can participate in this.  It will be simulcast. Stay tuned for more information about this.  

I can't wait to see how God's going to use this.  Airline tickets are booked and we are ready to go learn and soak it all up to figure out how to leak it all out.  

On a popular TV show I like --- a firefighter was having a hard time overcoming his grief and doing things that weren't healthy in combating it. His boss called him in and his argument was that he was on the job, showing up.  The boss said -- It's NOT about showing up - it's MORE than that.  People count on you! 

Yes -- this is true to all areas of our lives. Are you just showing up? Soaking it up and not sharing it? 

Are you making a difference or an appearance? 

I will not show up in Austin.  It's time for more.  I want to live my life trusting in Ephesians 3:20.  

Limitless

Undaunted means not intimidated or discouraged by difficulties, danger or disappointment.

Are you living life undaunted? I'm in the middle of a great study by Christine Caine (http://christinecaine.com).  Really looking at my life and realizing that I don't trust as much as I should.

Do you limit yourself? Do you limit others around you? What about what God can do in your life if you let Him truly in?  I do.  In a lot of ways.  I'm tired of it.

I tell myself - I don't have time to add one more thing, do I really have time for that thing or is that something that is worthy of my time? All kinds of questions that keep me down in my rut and running as usual.  I'm done.

One of my family's favorite movies is We Bought a Zoo.  (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1389137/)
This is a great movie that shows the choices you can take when tragedy strikes.  It's inspiring to watch someone take a great risk and take their hurt and pain and invest it. There are 2 lines in that movie that I'm trying to incorporate in my life......

• Benjamin Mee: You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.
• Katherine Mee: Why not?

Have you done something that takes insane courage? I would like to say that I have.... and I would like to live my life being willing to take risks and being open to what God is asking of me.  And ask myself - why not? What do I have to lose? 

This study is encouraging you to do something for God.  So many of us say what can I do?  I'm just 1 person and I only have this much time and this much influence.  My answer to this is -- you touch and help change 1 person's life, they then help someone else or even 5 people, then they reach out to others.  It's exponential.  It's unstoppable.  It's Ephesians 3:20.  Obeying God's calling has NO LIMITS.  

I know what my next step is and I know it's huge and it's going to impact.  Are there obstacles?  Yes.  Does it feel overwhelming?  Yes, because it's bigger than myself.  And when doing something for God, realizing the battles are really against the flesh, not against Tonya Mosher. But I'm asking God to help me be undaunted. 

Instead of asking yourself, why?  Ask why not? Just 20 seconds of insane courage!! You can endure anything for 20 seconds!!! 

Waiting to hear your stories.........