When is Enough Enough?

3 "You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north.

 Deuteronomy 2:3 (New International Version)

(Source: www.biblegateway.com. A wonderful study tool!)

Sometimes you need to go around something a few times to understand the impact it has upon your life. The process of repeatedly making your way around the same issue can help you to better understand your role in your own circumstances.  At times, you may lose patience with yourself at walking the same road over and over again.  

My wish is that you would give yourself a break and recognize that each experience provides you yet another opportunity for self-reflection and growth.  It is equally important to also recognize your choice in the matter and to know when you've gotten what was intended for you to receive. 

What do you continue to struggle through?  Your career? A relationship? Your vision? Your purpose? Designing a plan for your life?

How might you be freed if you were willing to accept that it is you that encircles your circumstances, and that it is you (not them) that chooses your trek around your personal hill country? How willing are you to recognize your choice to make your way around certain experiences in your life long after they’ve provided the lesson and their value?

What is the hill country in your life? Take note of it. Explore and acknowledge your role in it. Forgive someone. Forgive yourself.  Listen for when God lets you know that it is time for you to move yourself out of the way so that He can help you move on.  Then, my friend - head north.

I wish you action.

Happiest of all New Years To You!!

Be excited about your life! It is the only one that you have.

Be glad that you are here! Your life is filled with opportunity.

Accept that you are living the life of your own choosing! And, if you don't like how you are living - put a plan in place to Change it!

Appreciate what you do have!

Appreciate what you've learned! Have faith that what you've learned will carry you through your next endeavor.

Forgive someone!

Forgive yourself!

Love, my friend. Love.

 36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'^[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'^{[c] (NIV, Matthew 22:36-39)}

I wish you Peace.

Overwhelmed? Take 5 three times a day and set yourself free.

If you're like most folks, you've experienced that moment where you feel totally and completely overwhelmed by the circumstances of your life.  

I'm talking about that moment when in the midst of interacting with difficult folks, parenting a person or two, working a really long day, being stuck in traffic when you're already late, second shifting it at home -  you wish that you could hit the pause button on the world just to breath and figure things out.  Now, we both know that the world ain't stopping because you need time to re-group or get your head on straight (darnit!).

What you can do, when you are at your most overwhelmed, is give yourself the gift of getting back to basics and pause yourself. And by basics,  I mean just that - stop running from morning until night like a sports car with an endless supply of gasoline! Accept what feeling overwhelmed says that you need and permission yourself to take it.  Choose to start a new day in your relationship with yourself.  Starting tomorrow morning,  enjoy the gift of five quiet minutes before jumping up and out into the world. 

And when you get to the office (or wherever you head), before you start your workday of leftovers from the day prior, back-to-back meetings, to-do lists, emails, great team members, irritating co-workers, managers, and clients, take five minutes.  Do this before dealing with any of it - to ensure that you are working toward specific results rather than allowing your calendar, inbox, and agendas other than your own work you.

And when you have to go (you know exactly what I mean), go.  And if you need quiet moment in the middle of a crazy day to take a deep breath and think - take it.

And at the end of the day give yourself the gift of a wrap-up five minutes to de-compress, get clear, and consider where you are relative to where you would like to be.  Ask God to help you. Then enjoy a more peaceful sleep because you've carved yourself into your own existence.

Grant yourself permission to make a few quiet minutes part of your daily routine.  I promise that you cannot regret it.  And protect your right to that time with with all that is within you.  No thoughts, no plans, no chatter.  Just a quiet 15 minutes a day to "listen," really listen to what you have to say. 

I wish you Peace.