Miracles and Changes

Welcome to my Friday blog post.

It seems like so many people are on the busy train lately and it's hard to know where to move and what comes next with so many changes on the horizon. Some days it feels as if you can't catch your breath they're coming at you so fast.

I guess the title to this post pretty much states what this post will be about. So many times we pray for miracles and while some may happen, there are those times when it doesn't. I came across a motivational quote that seemed to linger in my mind as I fought some pretty rough fatigue yesterday. The kind that simply wants you to sit around and do nothing. So I figured I had nothing pending, I would take that time to read a book, some of the Christian bloggers and readers have been discussing lately. But first, back to the quote. It simply said, "Faith isn't just believing that God can do it, it is believing He will do it." Now to state it that I do not believe in the "name it and claim it" religious leaders. But it was enough for me to "marinate" on it from the time I read it til the time I went to bed.

It may be wonder on the things I pray for in faith, do I simply just "pray" about it, or do I honestly believe that God will do it. To be honest, I think more of it lies in the first part and not so much in the second part. I know God can do anything, but it does make you wonder, why does He allow someone to face fighting cancer so many times. He can heal them, but why doesn't he? Sometimes that question doesn't even get answered this side of heaven.

I know God has a plan and purpose in everything He does, and I feel like I need to up my prayer game to a whole new level. I need to really sit down during those prayer and talk to God about the things on my heart. Like I would my own father, if I could. Yet I have to remember the power unleashed in those prayerful moments. Heaven has been stirred. There is action I am not even seeing.

Last night I prayed that the sore throat I was dealing with all week would simply go away. I had noticed some white spots on my tonsils and kept watch over the week and yesterday it seemed it had grown bigger and now felt like I had a popcorn kernel stuck in the back of my throat. In fact the more I thought about it, the worse I felt. I dreamed about what might happen with my home based business if I couldn't speak any longer. I figured out, I would find a way to keep going despite what I could or couldn't do. I scheduled the earliest doctor's appointment for today that I could get. I wasn't at all happy about getting up so early feeling so badly and tired the night before.

When I woke up this morning to jump into the shower, I checked my throat to see how much worse it was, and no white spots. Not one. I even asked my hubby to check. All gone. No swelling of my tonsils, no sore throat, nothing. I even checked like 4 more times, because I couldn't believe that they were gone. I remembered last night as I tried to sleep, I did ask God to supernaturally take them away because I was feeling so poorly and the last thing I wanted to do was be sick again and have to cancel my LIVE tutorial tonight. I had errands to run in the morning that would have to be canceled and it would mean I couldn't help out where I could. But God had other plans. Today, I am rejoicing in that moment. I am good to go and managed to go back to sleep after canceling my doctor's appointment and slept far later than I had intended.

Usually the first thing I do before I get out of bed, is to check all my social media apps, for emails and to see what's going on before I get up. I came across a few responses to a book publicity company that is now closing its door and getting out of the book reviewing business. Friends, that is 3 in just 3 months. Is it possible God knew that the lifestyle I had depended on using my free time for, was coming and I needed to be ready for a change? Even six months before it happened?

I believe that is a YES! I was tired of trying to figure out where to go with all the reviews I am asked to do and still get my business up and running and helping other women do the same. I believe firmly it has been His plan all along. It is such a sadness to know this is where book reviewing is headed, and while I will continue to not give up my love of reading, I know God's got bigger plans in store for me and my family in this year ahead of us.

So miracles and changes, both blessings from God! I can't be happier with His path in my life right now. 

Our Own Worst Critic

I often wonder when my life here is over, and I stand before God, what He will show me. I think He might show me the "could have been's" if I merely followed a different set of steps in my future. Far too often, I believe we pray for His direction in our day, but then we are the ones who get in our own way of possible success. Perhaps it is that we lack the confidence and faith to believe in the possibilities laid before us. I firmly believe that with my whole heart. Even if we have 100 people tell us that we need to go in the direction we believe God is leading us to, we second guess, judge ourselves and listen to the lies of the enemy that say, "You're not as good as you think you are."

We kill ourselves before we even get going. Even though there is gas in our tanks, we don't even want to grab the keys and jump in the car. But the honest point is that we don't know how close we might be to reaching the other side of the shore, if we simply give up. What is it is one more project to complete, that will start your business in a successful path? What if it is showing up one more day, prepared to tackle whatever lies in front of you, and then the path will open wide up? What if we are merely steps away from reaching that point, God has called us to, but we throw in the towel saying, "I'm done. I can't do this any more. I'm out."

What if it was merely changing how we view our attitude that day? There are so many what ifs, and it makes me curious, why do we tend to listen to the negative what ifs in our head, instead of what could be positive what ifs instead? I wonder if it is just a woman thing more often than it is with a man, because everything that we do and say, is all connected in a way. Everything touches something else in our life. I believe we are our own worst critic and while we pray for God to work in our situation, we are blocking the way. It's time to stop saying it's too late to begin again. To say you're too old to do something. It's time to stop accepting the lies of the enemy and start listening to that still small voice that cheers us on, and encourages us to keep moving forward. Stop quitting and start working harder to find out what God's will is for your life.

If you're unsure, pray for clarity. If you don't have the strength to go on, lean on God. If you will listen to the lies of the enemy, start listening to the whispers of the Spirit. In other words, girl, get out there and be all God has created you to be. Stop standing in the way, get out of the way and watch God work.

Today, I received another email from a big name Christian book publisher that they are closing their review program to everything but eBooks. While I can see their point in keeping costs low, there are so many that can't or don't have access to eBooks. I see this as another confirmation that I am meant to move forward in my path as a small business owner and slowly transition from a book reviewer to the new chapter God is laying before me. Whether I will continue to make wreaths and home decor for the next year or whether God is calling me to teach and encourage others, I will pray for wisdom to know the difference between what God's will is for me in my life, and what I want instead. I need to give it all up to God and walk in the path He has laid before me today.

How can I encourage or pray for you today?

Getting Schooled

The one thing I have learned since really taking my small business seriously this year, instead of merely making things that people might want to buy, is relearning the business world. What worked for small businesses 5 years ago, no longer works today. This is why you see so many big name brick and mortar stores closing their doors and relying on online sales. This generation of consumers is driven by social media.

This generation of consumers is always on their smart phones and computers. They want to look and shop from the comfort of their own home, so how does one stay competitive in a world where people can shop prices within minutes to find the best deals.

I refuse to give up the notion that customer service and loyalty remains key even though watching LL Bean give up their lifetime warranty on their products so simply given a year or more to make any necessary changes. Why? Well if you read the article, it was part in people shopping their products at garage sales and then asking the company to provide a new product in exchange for the old one, even though they claim the number of opportunities wasn't driven by this claim. I think it has. There will always be those who take advantage of the system to get it to work for them. I mean who would even think to do such a thing right? Yet this generation of consumers is getting smarter and now know how to work the system.

So one needs to be educated on how small business needs to stay afloat in a competitive market, so it is back to school but with those that are successful and willing to pass along their training to you. I have signed up with those small business owners that I can relate to such as Jennifer Allwood, a successful and wonderfully talented entrepreneur that has business classes on such things like using social media to promote your business and why it works so well. She has recently closed her classes temporarily to help those that have signed up and be able to really coach effectively to what works. You simply can't sit on all your social media sites and promote your wares anymore. I mean who wants to follow someone's Facebook or Instagram pages when all they do is be hit with more pictures of what you are selling right?

So it is a slow process for someone like me, but I am learning. I guess the saying that it is never too old to teach an old dog new tricks still applies. Well for this girl, I LOVE learning. I don't think we should ever stop. In fact when I was a corporate trainer for years, the one thing we understood to be successful in the working world is never settle for what you know. Always be learning, and the more you know the more you will provide a valuable asset against someone who is a one trick pony.