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October 2015

Can I borrow a cup of bravery?

We see it often depicted in movies, commercials, magazines and stories. He comes riding in on his chariot or he’s always at the right place at the right time. The hero has come to save the damsel in distress! At a very young age, we (girls) are programmed to believe that a special man will bravely whisk us away from danger. If only it was that easy.

Going into marriage I assumed that my husband would always be the brave one. Clearly I consumed too many hours of Lifetime Television and ABC Family! Yet, during two years of marriage to Wes, I have learned the truth. We have to take turns being brave for one another.

Around this time last year, Wes was in the hospital for a procedure that would keep him in the hospital for a week with a recovery time of 8-12 weeks. This was a lot to handle for a new marriage; frustrating for him and difficult for me to accept that I would be at home without him for a while. I felt helpless. There was no way to avoid or escape what was happening, so I made a decision to borrow a cup of bravery from those who came to support us.

Being brave for someone else means to lay down your life, your comfort for the sake of something greater.  It’s a beautiful act of love, but it is not easy. There were moments I was thankful for the opportunity to be brave for my husband, but the desire to be comfortable would distract and frustrate me from the bigger picture. He would agree that as my husband, the head of our marriage, it was hard for him to receive a cup of bravery from me. Our expectations in marriage do not always match our experiences, but it adds to the adventure on the journey.

Wes and I continue to take turns being brave for one another. When the business ideas didn’t work, I bravely carried Wes.  When we learned of two dear people who passed away, he bravely carried me.

This pattern is also developed in friendships and other relationships that are important to us. There will be moments when we need to depend on each other’s bravery, support and encouragement to get through difficult moments we face. Think about how you made it through your last obstacle. Who did you borrow a cup of bravery from?

Share your experience in the comment box below.

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Be Brave & Carry on.

“Each step prepares you for the next one.” Dr. Hoffman

I recently heard this quote while discussing the big picture in life and how we can get so focused on the big picture, that monumental moment in the future, that we forget about the here and now.

In the past few months, God has given me many pictures and words for what is to come in my life. However, I live in the present reality, I don’t live in a futuristic fantasy. Now my job is to live this present reality in view of the future, mindful of the work I will do each day in order to get there. I still hold onto the hope, but I’m not naive enough to think it will just magically happen with no work on my part.

Proverbs 14:15 says, “The simple believe anything,

but the prudent give thought to their steps.”

If each step prepares me for the next and it is a good thing to give thought to my steps in the view of the vision I have been given, then YES, I will prayerfully consider my ways each day!

Bravery is a journey. You don’t wake up one morning and just decide to be brave (although that would be a good way to start). Bravery starts small, and as you go along the journey, each step of the way will be preparation for the next. Take some time to think about the journey. Reflect and be still for a few moments.

Here are three things to help as your current step prepares you for the next:

  1. Ask yourself, how is this step preparing me for that bigger picture?
  2. What in my last step (or the last year) prepared me for right now?
  3. How can I live right now in view of the bigger picture of a lifetime? Or eternity?

Trust that this step is preparing your for the next, however difficult each step may be. When we take the time to reflect on what has already happened, it gives us that bigger picture view to take with us in the midst of each step.

Proverbs 20:24

“A person’s steps are directed by the Lord.

How then can anyone understand their own way?”

We may not understand it now, but we will someday! Keep going. Be brave, and carry on. (Tweet that).

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Seasons change and so do we 

It’s 1:00 in the morning and I find myself in an all too familiar state. I just put babygirl back to sleep and now I am wide awake on Facebook.
I love scrolling through my friends photos checking out new styles or opportunities they are taking part in. I draw inspiration from their good news and it also gives me an opportunity to “catch up.”
As I continue scrolling through, I come upon a recent celebration and noticed that someone appeared to be missing from the photos. Initially, I felt left out and sad.

Why wasn’t I invited to this gathering? 

The more I pondered on this I realized.

I am in a different season. 

 

My life has drastically changed in the last two years. I have gone from a season of singleness to marriage. From zero children to now two! As I continued to come out of my funk, the words from my mentor danced across my mind. 

“Your marriage and your family are your very first ministry.”

That reminder brought so much joy to my heart. For me, one of the hardest transitions as a wife and mother was accepting that my friendships would change. Although they have changed it does not mean they have to end. Lauryn Hill said it like this.

“Everything is everything. What is meant to be will be. After winter, must come spring, change, it comes eventually.”

Our Heavenly Father has planned out our lives with infinite joy and wisdom. He knows what needs to be harvested in each season he has ordered. The only thing constant is change, therefore we have to stop resisting it.

Are you frustrated because you are comparing your season to someone else’s.

  • You might be single and desire to be married.
  • Married and desire to have children.
  • You are working a 9-5 but desire to be a #GIRLBOSS or
  • Maybe you have a big dream in your heart that hasn’t fully taken off yet.

No matter what, choose to enjoy your season. You are not missing out, God has not forgotten you! When you value your season you throw off frustration and get to experience all that God wants for you now. What do you value in your current season? Share with us in the comment box below!

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Destined to Live

Purpose is defined as ‘the reason for which something exists’. When something is created it has a purpose for its existence. For example, a hammer was created to do two things: to knock in nails and pull them out. To a certain degree, we all understand purpose, but getting into deeper levels of understanding, such as my life purpose, can get a little murky or intimidating to think about.  
There is a reason I am here. When you think of your life this way, it can shift your perspective on how you’ve been viewing purpose. If a hammer has purpose, how much more purpose must human beings have with all of their complexities and nuances? I understand this even more now as an entrepreneur trying to build a business in my early 30’s. I understand that I have specific gifts that pinpoint me to how I should be investing my life. My gifts tell me ‘this is what you were created to solve’.

When building a business you must be tuned into purpose or it isn’t going to work. You will otherwise be deterred by the many bumps along the way. Sometimes I consider how much easier life would be if I just simply lived beneath purpose and pursued an easier path. I always come to the same conclusion: it’s not worth not pursuing. It’s taken a bit of trial and error, but I am closer than ever before to figuring it out. I get a sense of exhilaration thinking about the possibilities of what my life can look like.

  
You are not here to just get by in life. That is not living. You were made with the intention of leaving an incredible mark. There is a confidence that comes from discovering your purpose, and you will only know if you are willing to exercise your bravery muscle to pursue what that is. Don’t be afraid of necessary adjustments along the way. With a sprinkle of bravery that extends from the value you’ve placed on your life, you are destined to live the life you were meant to.

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