Thank You
Gratitude. Appreciation. Encouragement. Two words can go a long way. Two words can influence. Two words can make all the difference. Two words can bring a sense of humanity to any exchange. Thank you. Thank God. Thank People. Thank each other. Acknowledge your appreciation for someone's efforts. Thank you for your support. Thank you for your input. Thank you for being who you are in my life. Don't take these two words for granted.
Safe Place
Where do you find comfort? Where is your safe place? We all need a place of solace. We all need a place where we can get away from it all. We need peace. Especially, when there is so much chaos in our lives. Find your peace. Find your safe place and if you don't have one, create a space where you can relax. Create your own haven.
ROI
ROI measures the amount of return on an investment, relative to the investment’s cost. To calculate ROI, the benefit (or return) of an investment is divided by the cost of the investment. The result is expressed as a percentage or a ratio.
"So, what's in it for me?" Most people want to know if they give you something how it will benefit them. ROI is easy to calculate when you are talking about tangible investments. What about time? What about emotions? What about expectations? When we invest in people, we don't always see immediate results. We don't always reap the benefits of everything we sow into people's lives. It's ok. Life has a funny way of bringing things full circle. Continue to live. Continue to grow. Continue to sow.
Qualified
qual·i·fied (ˈkwäləˌfīd) adjective
officially recognized as being trained to perform a particular job; certified.
not complete or absolute; limited.
Moses stuttered. Noah was a drunk. Abraham was old. Jacob was a trickster. Gideon was scared. Rahab was a prostitute. David was an adulterer. Jonah ran from God. Naomi was a widow. Peter denied Christ. Martha was a worrier. Paul was a murderer. Lazarus was dead. God can use anything and anyone. If there is a calling on your life and a strong desire in your heart, then God will do the rest. Your finances and education are irrelevant to God's plans. Your circumstances don't matter either. "God does not call the qualified he qualifies the called."
Pull the Weeds Up!!
I never thought a Saturday morning of yard work would be so profound. Let's get this straight. I have allergies. I don't do outside. I don't do bugs. I don't do dirt, and I'm not a fan of heat.
I'm not completely new to yard work, but let's just say it's been a while. I used to help my grandfather in his garden in exchange for playing in the sprinklers afterward.
So, here I am with my face mask, gloves, and hoe... and God starts to speak.
My grandfather always told me:
1. Pull the weeds up straight.
2. Make sure you pull the roots up.
3. Use the hoe to help you.
4. Repeat.
Pull the weeds up straight.
Lesson: So, you have to get the whole weed not just what's visible. Weeds have strong roots. What you see on the surface is only a tiny bit of what's happening underground. If you just pick what you see, you're not really dealing with the issue only what's visible. Go deep!
Make sure you pull the roots up.
Lesson: Get to the root. Take the time. Do the work. Put in the sweat equity. Don't let those roots stay in the ground. They will produce and multiply and overrun your garden. They will choke out your plants and whatever else you are trying to grow.
Sidenote: Some weeds look like grass and you can't tell the difference until you pull it out and see the root.
Sidenote 2: Be careful about who you keep close. Some of them are weeds. Their sole purpose is to grow with you to ultimately hinder you. All weeds don't stifle growth, some just stifle your maturity.
Matthew 13:24-30 The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
Use the hoe to help you.
My Native New Orleanian is screaming, "there are some hoes in your life who can help you." Cue my organ.
See Joshua 2 Rahab and the Spies. (Rahab was instrumental in God's plan for the Battle of Jericho)
Lesson: There are people in your life who have learned the lesson....the hard way so, you don't have to!!! Glean from their experience and understanding.
Sidenote: A hoe is a garden tool. Its sole purpose is to be used. I'll stop right there.
Repeat
Lesson: You can't just stop because you pulled up one weed. There's more. Gardening is messy work. Your hands will get dirty. It requires strength. It's uncomfortable. It's a process, but the results are worth it.
Pull the weeds up from the garden of your heart. Get to the root. Use the tools that God has given you and ask for help if you need it. Pull the weeds up!!!
Open Door
Revelation 3:8 ESV “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
Sometimes, opportunities disguise themselves as change. It may be a new school, a new job, a new house, or simply something outside of your comfort zone. God usually blesses us outside of our realm of understanding, comfort, and ability. Don't sell yourself short. Don't limit yourself. Don't overthink it. Be obedient. Listen. Move when God says move. Speak when God says speak. Go where God tells you to go. It won't make sense, but it will work out. Be patient. Every door isn't your door. Know that when it's your time, no one can hinder you. Walk boldly through your open door.
New Normal
New Normal is a term in business and economics that refers to financial conditions following the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and the aftermath of the 2008–2012 global recession. The term has since been used in a variety of other contexts to imply that something which was previously abnormal has become commonplace.
What's your new normal? What is America's new normal? I remember when profanity was not a commonplace for primetime tv. I remember when songs had clean versions not just radio edits. I remember when games were criticized for excessive violence. I remember when rap music was the subject of congressional hearings. I remember when social meant human interaction. I remember when "live entertainment" did not include being a witness to murder and police brutality. Our new normal has desensitized us. Our new normal doesn't value life. Our new normal doesn't value family. Our new normal doesn't celebrate our differences. Our new normal is fear. Our new normal has created no expectation of justice. Our new normal is depression. Our new normal is violence. Our new normal is distraction. Our new normal is self destruction.