There are five things in my life that if I don’t do them daily, I feel like I have not fulfilled my purpose. It wasn’t easy in the beginning to do all of them. But as I opened my heart of understanding and learned more about who I am, my strengths, my core values and my natural way of taking action, I came to find out more about the way God has wired me. But it doesn’t stop there. All this knowledge has given me what I need to do the work I love from a sense of greater confidence. So, here are my five things I must exercise daily.

READING

Reading gives me something I can carry with me throughout my life. It helps me see clearer, understand more and opens my eyes to new possibilities. Because learning and belief are two of my top strengths, I thrive when I stretch myself. I learn more about how to love, lead and work with a greater wisdom while keeping the presence of love and Truth in every situation. My absolute favorite reading material is the Holy Bible. I have a few other favorites, but this one tops the list. From 2006 to 2010, I read over 300 books. I learned an incredible number of things, but most especially about how God created, wired and designed us for life, love, and relationships. I have found that in making the priority of my life to grow my relationship with Jesus, all my other relationships become deeper. I have a few friends that are greater than gold. They are priceless and have consistently walked with me through fire and ice. They have helped me to climb mountains and lifted me up when I hit valleys. Having them in my life has changed my life. Without knowing Jesus, it’s highly likely that I might not know them.

My beliefs and work stem from my faith. From there the meaning and purpose of my work provide direction to others.  And that leads me to another love.

COACHING

One of my greatest joys is to bring hope, love, and Truth to others. When I coach women, I feel alive and like I am fulfilling my divine purpose. My beliefs help me to speak into the heart of people. My first years of coaching were without fees. The whole process was born out of love for God, myself and others, but more than that, His love for me.

With all I came to learn through my personal experiences with Jesus, my heart transformed and I began to coach. From the time I was young, I was the “go to” person for direction for many different situations. Without my understanding, my coaching worked, and my friends found success. I profess today that this was God with me in a time I didn’t know He was there.

I love to partner with women who want to grow spiritually and practically so they can thrive in their home, career and community relationships. We all have challenges in this life. It helps to have someone walk with us through those challenges. A bonus is having someone who has walked in their shoes. I get energy by spending time listening, speaking life, and helping women see themselves the way God sees them.

After coaching for several years at no cost, I went to school and gained my coaching credentials. I learned more and set out to organically build a coaching practice. It has not been easy, but having the opportunity to speak one to one while people move others step by step from good to great fills me with joy.

WRITING

I love, love, LOVE to write. It’s one of the easiest things I can do to share what I have learned. Sharing written word is something that I’ve done since I was a child, but never in a public forum. And, I never considered anything worth someones time to read, so I trashed all my writings. In 2014, I released my first book, Desperate for Love. It’s the raw story of my life before knowing Jesus, God’s divine intervention and rescue and the overflow of a surrendered life. I wasn’t thinking all my life that I wanted to write a book. The desire came after giving my life completely over to Jesus. That’s when I was led to write my story so other women could know that hope and freedom are real, no matter what they have experienced.

Today, my writing is different. I’m still finding my voice. Most recently,  I’ve been on a blogging marathon and am on day fourteen. It takes a lot of love to want to write when so many obstacles come against you. I did miss a day. I’m thankful that I don’t have to beat myself up for it and can give myself grace. That has come from my faith and continuous reading. I still have much to learn about writing. And I learn daily how much easier it gets as I press through the obstacles. I know writing is not for everyone, but I have something to share. That is why I love to do it.

SHARING MY STORY

How do you see this fellow in the above photograph? To me, he’s so ugly that he’s cute. I wonder, if he wasn’t so colorful, how might I see him? Would I still think he is cute? Reflect on the rainbow, Joseph’s coat, and pieces of art. Each is made up of many colors. What about our lives? Were we born to be perfect or is it by design that our imperfections and flaws give us the experiences that form and shape us into who we are created to be? Difficulties are where we can find our significance, our true self, and mostly the Lord of our life. What we do with our difficulties is what makes all the difference. Sharing my story is to set others free. When I read from John 4 in the scriptures, I connected so intensely that I became that woman. I was the one standing there at the well in the heat of the day because of my experiences of being shunned, ridiculed and setup. I had come to a misguided understanding that I brought everything on myself and deserved what I was getting. While standing there, Jesus spoke to me. He asked me to get him a drink. That made me feel accepted. He told me that the water that was in that well would leave me thirsty coming back for more, but that if I drink the living water he offers, I will never thirst again.  I was drenched and drank it right away. Then He spoke some words that changed my life forever, “I know everything you’ve ever done.” This love and acceptance that Jesus gave me is what I desire to give to others.

GIVING

How do we give something we do not have? We can’t. But if we know what we have, we will come to understand that it has been paid to pass along to others. It doesn’t matter how much money someone has; we can still give love, something money can’t buy.

I love giving smiles, understanding, time, talent and treasure to build up others and to help them find their way. In 2014,  I watched the movie, The Giver. In this film, I felt like God was showing me the kind of heart He has given me. The world around us sometimes seems dead, as if the real meaning of love is lost. There are people established to give it back for such a time as this. I am confident that I am chosen to give hope and love to a world that is thirsty for more. To a world that has forgotten what it feels like to feel. Take a few moments (5 minutes) to watch The Giver Final Speech and Memories Return.

If you prefer to read it, the transcript of the speech is below:

You can stop this.
Stop What?
If you don’t want to see it, sit down with the other Elders/
Close your eyes.
Ceremony of RElease to Elsewhere.
Hello, Fiona.
You uncomfortable?
I’m not uncomfortable.
I’m afraid.
You don’t have to be afraid.
You know me.
I’ll be very gentle.
I promise.
Okay?
Her name was Rosemary.
She was my daughter.
I loved her.
Precision of language.
I could not be more precise.
Do you know what that’s like?
To love someone?
I do.
I’ve Cried, felt true sorrow.
I’ve sung, danced.
I’ve felt real joy.
Then you should know better than anyone.
You have seen children starve.
You’ve seen people stand on each other’s necks just for the view.
You know what it feels like when men blow each other up.
Yes.
Over a simple line in the sand.
I do, I do, but…
And yet…
And yet, you and Jonas want to open that door again, bring all that back.
If you could only see the possibility of love.
Why?
Of love.
Love is just…
With love comes faith, with it comes hope.
Love is just passion that can turn.
We can do better.
It turns into contempt and murder.
We could choose better.
People are weak.
People are selfish.
When people have the freedom to choose, they choose wrong ever single time.
It’s a sled.
Loss and pain,
music,
Joy,
the raw, impossible, beautiful feeling of love.
Your son, he felt that.
That girl, she has felt it.
That’s enough.
We are living a life of shadows, of echoes, of faint, distant whispers of what once made us real.
Excuse me for one second, Fiona.
We must continue.
I wish I had been there when the memories returned.
They were the truth.
The Elders and their rules were the lie.
So I do not apologize.
I knew Fiona was safe, that I’d see her again, and that I help the future there in my arms.
The Giver had led us here to this house.
It was real.
From far behind me, from the place I had left, I thought I heard music, too.
Perhaps it was only an echo, but it was enough, It would lead us all home.

Is there something hidden deep inside you and forgotten? Is real love in living color missing from your life? How can you give hope and love to a world that is thirsty for more if you don’t have it? What will you do to change that?

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Photos by Ryan Johns, Ben White, CHAN Y, rawpixel.com, Gareth Newstead, Chungkuk Bae on Unsplash

Movie quote by https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=the-giver