Tag Archives: control

LET GO!

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What are some of the things you are holding onto? What is one thing you are holding on so tightly that it has to be pried out of your fingers? What is something you do not want to give up control over?

There are many areas in our life that we want to hold onto whether it’s children, a job, house, any material possessions or loved ones. We want to be able to control it. But I have news for you…

YOU CAN’T.

You cannot control life. You can control, however, how you respond to the circumstances that happen in your life.

There is one person who can control life and it’s not you….it’s GOD.

He wants you to give over control. He wants you to let go of the things you are holding on so tightly. And I have good news for you, He is the BEST person to take control because he will make whatever situation, whatever circumstance better than you could have ever made it.

God wants to bless you. He wants to bless you abundantly. But he won’t do that if you do not trust him. Trust him with the small things and he will trust you with the big things. Whatever size your problem or plan is, give it to God. He will blow you out of the water with what he does with it!

You have to TRUST HIM.

Right now I am trying to start my own business. I am starting to notice a pattern. When I try to do things my way, nothing happens, no one is reached, I haven’t been able to make any connections in the field I am working in. But when I pray over what God wants to share to others through me, or ask him what he wants to do in my business, I am blown away with the amount of people who watch and listen to my content, the connections and meetings I make. And it’s all because I come to God first. I come to God with my plans and ask him for his. I give him each situation and allow him to use me in it.

Let go of your plan. You will not regret it, I promise. God has a much better plan for you than you have for yourself!

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

When you let go and let God take control it will feel something like this…  : )

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Blessed Are The Flexible

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In honor of Mother’s Day, coming up this Sunday, I thought I’d share this post.

My Mom says this to me often (and she tells me that her Mom said it to her),
“Blessed are the flexible, for they will bend and not break.”

I have wasted too much effort in my lifetime being fixated on things I could not control. As in all other areas, being flexible and unbreakable is for me a work in progress.

There are several things that happen in life that we have no control over. Two examples are: weather and getting sick – at the most inopportune times!

Have you ever planned an outdoor party, or even a wedding, and then it rained and stormed so badly that you couldn’t have it? You had to have a plan B somewhere inside? We can plan all we want to, and we are supposed to make a plan, but we can only work with the factors given us when the moment comes. We have to choose to see the good in it and believe it’s for the best.

I actually had a trip planned to Florida at the end of January to see my Mom and my Aunt Tami who was going to visit from California. I don’t get to see either of them as often as I’d like. I had been planning this trip for months!

Then, a trifecta of uncontrollable circumstances occurred at the same time that prevented me from taking this trip. My car broke down a few days prior requiring me to make rental car reservations. Then, I caught a bad cold the week leading up to the trip. I can’t remember when I was that sick! And finally, wouldn’t you know that we got an ice and snow storm in Charlotte the day before I was to drive! Ice is very treacherous when driving, and Charlotte basically shut down. Not only was I ill, but I could not get anyone to pick me up to take me to the rental car place, and even crazier, the rental car place closed due to inclement weather. When does that even happen? And all at the same time? I was so frustrated.

I actually got forced to decide not to go on the trip and forfeited my time with my Mom and Aunt all together. It took all I had to buck up and be flexible, believing that there must be a reason for this change of plan.

All these were things that were out of my control. There are many things in life that happen that way, and there is absolutely nothing we can do but resolve to learn a lesson and be flexible with our plans. God’s plan does not conform to ours! Try as we may, we are only human and cannot control all the factors in our lives. The example I gave was mild – we all face major circumstances in this human life that require us to be flexible. We must be so that we can be strong. The strength comes in the ability to bend, not in being so rigid that we can snap.

I am not known for being a very flexible person, but I continue to grow in this area the older I get. Fortunately for me, I have role models in this skill! My Grandmother was a very calm and flexible woman – she always believed that God knew what was best and rather than being irritated or rigid, she would “roll with life” and be open to where God was taking her moment by moment. My Mom has exhibited this skill, and continues to remind me to be flexible and teachable with her words and with her actions.

Grandma, Tami and Mom on Mother's Day 2007

Grandma, Tami and Mom on Mother’s Day 2007

So, on this Mother’s Day – I thank you Mom and Grandma for the wisdom you have bestowed upon me. It may be taking me a long time to grasp it, but you instilled it inside me! And here’s a shout-out to a great Mom, my Aunt Tami, and my very flexible and unbreakable cousin Nikki! Oh how I wish I could have mastered this skill as early as you have! You all inspire me daily! XOXO

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The Maze Runner

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I had a vision a couple weeks ago of myself running through a dark maze. I was frightened because I didn’t know what would jump out from around each corner. I was sprinting through this maze and there was no end in sight.

I have prayed and seeked counsel about this vision and this is what I think it means… I have a lot of unknowns in my life at the moment and I don’t know which way to turn. Life is a mystery and we never know what we will face.

When I told this vision to a mentor of mine, he told me I need to pray God shines His light on the maze so I will be able to see where I am going. I love the advice he gave me because it’s true! When we shine a light in a dark place we are able to see. And when we seek God with unknown situations he will guide us in the direction he wants us to go.

I still feel as though I am in that maze, but I don’t feel as though I am sprinting, it’s more of a jog. And the maze is not as dark. I am still in the midst of a lot of unknowns but I serve and love a God who has all the answers. I can trust him with my life. I can trust him to guide me in the right direction. The direction he leads me may not be the direction I would have expected, but God’s plan is way better than anything I could have ever dreamed or imagined!

It’s funny because when I worry about things it puts more stress on me and it usually doesn’t work out the way I want it to. BUT whenever I surrender and let God take control, those things I was once worried about are taken care of. We make things a lot more complicated than they need to be.

If you feel you are facing a lot of unknowns let me encourage you to lay those unknowns at the feet of Jesus and allow him to take control. He loves you and will provide and take care of you!

 

Allow God to lead you through the maze of life. He will lead you to heaven.

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(Every morning while living at an orphanage in Swaziland we exercised by running several miles with some of the children – World Race November 2014)

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God is in Control

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I don’t know what I would do without God in my life. Life is tough and throws curve balls at us, but life would be much harder if God wasn’t in it.

 

Without God, I would not be following my passions and having him pave the way.

Without God, I would not be the joyful person I am today!

Without God, I would be worrying about the day to day.

Without God, I would be stressed about my future.

 

I can think of many times I planned something and it didn’t end up happening. I wanted to get my EMT and move to Tahoe to be ski patrol. I wanted to go grad school to get my doctorate in Physical Therapy. I have planned to do many things that have not worked out, but God ends up making them even better. Instead of moving to Tahoe, I lived in San Diego and met amazing, life-long friends. Instead of going to grad school, I traveled to 11 different countries.

God has better plans for us then we have for ourselves, we just have to give him complete control of our lives and be willing to say YES to what he wants us to do.

Life without God is hard. Life with God is so much easier. I don’t know where or who I would be today without Jesus. I would probably be super stressed, not know where to go in life, and I wouldn’t be living a life of abundance.

Giving God control and trusting him is something we must do daily, hourly, every second. We have to choose Jesus over wanting to have control of our lives. If you think about it, there is not much you can control so why not have someone who is greater than anything in all the earth be in control? Let go and let God take over.

 

God knows what he is doing…Do you trust him enough to give him complete control of your life?

 

“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6

 

“TRUST in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

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(This picture reminds me of joy and celebration in living a life with Jesus. This was taken after winning a volleyball game on the beach in Nicaragua.)

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