Thank God for arm-rests!

When my big bro Paul said "In everything give thanks"* and Bishop David Oyedepo said, "If you can think, you can thank," they were both absolutely right.

A choice you need to make...

"I may have lost my fitbit...

...but I haven't lost my drive to be and remain fit."

YES! That was my declaration of determination as I took the stairs to my meeting 4 floors away.

How low...

...are you willing to go in order to go up?

Another lesson from The Blind side

In one scene in The Blind Side* movie, the youngest son was being teased and so his mother gently reminded him of a rhyme used for children: "SJ sticks and stones...?"

We know from experience that words can and do hurt so we need to be very careful how we use ours. We can't control how others use their but we can be alert & give our children a boost so they don't get struck/stung by or stuck in the sticks, stones, mud or words people throw at them. We must help our children move beyond the bad words spoken to them.

I've found that the best way to "deal" with bad words spoken to us or to our children is:

1. Counter them immediately - either out loud or internally.
2. Know what God says about you and hold on to that eternally.

Today, we celebrate an amazing young man who knows what God has said about him and refuses and refutes any negative words. We love you very much son. We look forward to the further fulfilment of God's word and work in and through you. May God bless and keep you to His glory.

Footnote:
*For other lessons from the Blind Side see:

http://sapphire-and-beryl.blogspot.ca/2012/03/accept-vs-respect.html
http://sapphire-and-beryl.blogspot.ca/2015/02/reverse-impact.html

"Take what's in front of you..."

Do you remember that instruction from your parents? Well I do, especially since I say the same thing to my children and some of the children in my sphere of influence.

So that was exactly what I did mid January and this was the mug I ended up with.

Whoever said that God doesn't speak, doesn't know how to hear Him.

This is definitely confirmation that this is my Year of High Places.

The message "LEAP higher" got me thinking about what LEAP could stand for - you know me and acronyms, so here goes:
Look inwards - take time to know and understand where you are in life now. Ask yourself what worked or didn't and answer the question: "What can/should I do differently to leap higher?"
Examine your relationships - with 59 days gone in this year, it's not too late to ensure that you have the right people around you to enhance your leap. Imagine trying to leap with someone holding your legs...preventing your progress. There are some people you need to cut off if you want to go far - or even anywhere in life.
Aim high - to go higher than where you are now, you need to be looking up and aiming for goals beyond your current level.
Pursue your purpose with passion - take time to discover your purpose, only then can you express and maximize your potential. It's not enough to "Aim high" - you need to move forward/up. No one I know has ever gotten to the top of any staircase (or even an escalator) by stepping on and then staying at the first step or by not even getting on to the staircase/escalator - in the case of an escalator that's working.

To LEAP higher, you need to do all you can to succeed. Leaping is an action by you not others.

The fact that all the conditions are not "perfect" should not stop you. Ecclesiastes 11: 4 & 6 say:

 

⁴Those who wait for perfect weather [watch the wind] will never plant seeds [sow];

those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops.

⁶ Plant early in the morning, and work until [do not let your hand rest at] evening,

because you don’t know if this or that will succeed. They might both do well. (Expanded Bible)

The other thing that could limit our desire to leap higher is previous conquests and successes so take Harvey Mackay's words to heart:

"A great accomplishment shouldn't be the end of the road,

just the starting point for the next leap forward."

This 2-year old piece on "LEAP"* also tells us about some areas where we should LEAP higher.

Go ahead and LEAP higher - the Lord will uphold and stablize you... See you at the top!

Reference:
* http://sapphire-and-beryl.blogspot.ca/2012/02/leap.html

Think like who you are...