Wonderfully Made

So it has been a while since I posted. I am finding that it has to be truly quiet and usually something hits me powerfully that I don't feel I have any option but to write.  I just hope it is at a time that someone needs to hear what I am trying to share.

I came across this verse the other morning.  It is one I have read often. In fact I have shared it with others on numerous occasions.  I love the reminder that God made us just how He intended.  He does not believe we are a mistake or that some situation along the way undermined his creation.

Well today, something jumped out at me.  It was like it was highlighted on the page, or blinking on and off.  I read the verse again:

"I praise you because, I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  Psalms 139:14"

When I have repeated this verse in the past to a friend I shared that the verse stated,  "you are fearfully and wonderfully made." I usually share it when someone is struggling with their value.  Feeling unloved or not appreciated.  Their gifts aren't needed.  God reminds me of this verse at just that moment.

So what jumped out in this verse?  There is a huge difference for me in one word.  I vs. You.  It is easy for me to accept God stating I am his creation and he feels I am wonderfully made.  I am sure you have had your mom, best friend, spouse, or sibling tell you something great and you shrug it off.  You feel, "They have to say that because you are my person.  Ha!"

Well, that is not what the verse states.  It says.  I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  I am called to accept and embrace that I am just how I was meant to be made, right as I am.  It is actually a statement of  unbelief to feel I am less than in how God made me.  Wow!  I know it is a simple thought but still powerful.

So, I am encouraging you today.  Embrace and Own who God made you to be.  Believe who you are. Perfect in His image.

Happy Friday!

Freedom Plan Challenge-Day V

Setting Yourself Up for Success

Today's challenge has been about creating the successful environment for my own increase in productivity .  A challenge to share what my day would look like when I have established healthy productive tools for my day.  Any goal you have today, needs a plan and needs accountability.  I am hoping you can help me with this in the coming weeks!

I may have mentioned before, but part of this journey for me has meant no longer taking my medication for ADD.  The pill that helped me focus, have clarity, and organize my time.  All the things this challenge is asking of me.

The tips shared for this challenge has given me a renewed sense of focus and perspective.  I have a determination to find new strategies for personal success.  I believe that some of the ideas and tools provided with this challenge can help anyone seeking to be more productive and efficient in their day.

If I am to be successful at achieving my goals I have shared, then I must create the right environment, the right time of day I plan to work, and how I can hold myself accountable to continue on this journey.

I have to take a minute and share one of the best tips I learned in this challenge so far.  You may have heard of the Pomodoro Technique.  There is a book, App, and so much more detail out there for those interested, but the concept is simple.

Break your time up into 25 minute intervals.  Stating that for the next 25 minutes, I will only work on this one thing.  I will not look, listen, or address anything else.  Set a timer and work diligently during that time.  When the time is up. Take a break and then reengage in another 25 minute block.  It uses the age old tool of deadlines and sense of urgency in a much more successful manner.

With that said, my productive day could look like this:

• Start my day with coffee-of course!
• Prayer and time in the Word for focus, clarity, and direction
• Breakfast & girls off to school
• Set aside my two hour morning or afternoon block of time for focused work each day
• 10 am -12 pm or 1 pm- 3pm
• My work time needs to be quiet, private, and clear of clutter
• Divide my work time up in to 25 minute segments based on the work I am set to accomplish.
• Writing a blog
• Researching a topic
• Reading literature on ways to personally heal and/or help others

• Complete the time with a review of work completed and set task list for the next work session

If that can be a work session for me, the output would extremely productive and provide the tools needed to focus on numerous projects in a day successfully.

Let me know if you put any of these ideas into play personally.  Love to learn from you as well.  

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 5

Freedom Challenge-Day IV

Unlocking Your Superpowers

So my challenge today is around understanding what my Superpowers really are.  Putting a name to them.  Start allowing myself to see what God has given me as strengths that come naturally.  

I have always loved the superhero.  The good vs evil battle, but the superhero always comes through.  I always was drawn to one that seem to walk in the middle.  I even went as far as to have CatWoman on the back of my license plate as a teenager.  My husband's mother named him Gregory Kent Myers after her favorite Man of Steel-Superman.  As you can see this idea of Superpowers is very intriguing to me.  

So the goal today is to list out what I feel I am naturally good at as well as make a list of what I genuinely just love doing.  This will help me identify a sweet spot in between that brings some of these together.  So, work with me here as I try to lay this out as a working draft:

Skills                     

• Public Speaking
• Training and Developing 
• Empathy 
• Vulnerability
• Empowerment
• Engaging 
• Change Agent
• Key Communicator
• Writing- still working on this one :)
• Building A Team

Passions

• Sharing my story with others
• Helping Others find their passion
• Making Others laugh
• Encouraging Others 
• Praying 
• Writing
• Reading
• Dancing
• Travel 
• Spontaneous Adventure
• Quality time with Family and Friends

My skills and passions are truly so close as it is.  I love helping people and it comes naturally to me.  I can build relationships very quickly and I have been drawn to finding ways to seeing the value in others and building them up.  

I am also extremely passionate about my faith and all God has and continues to do in my life.  I want to use my gift of speaking and writing to share my journey in hopes of it resonating with other woman.  My empathy and encouraging spirit naturally create the foundation needed for my superpower to be the most effective.  

It is hard for me to put these desires down on paper or out into internet space.  I have always wanted to be speaking to and with women however God felt lead.  In the past 10 years as I have prayed about writing, speaking or anything of that realm. He made it clear that my focus was in a one on one setting.  It has only been since the event of the last month that I have felt a desire to write in a way I have never felt before.  We will see...

This blog post is in response to Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 4