Category Archives: Attitude

October 13, 2008 · 3:52 pm

The tale of two “practically perfect” days

This is a tale of two practically perfect days.

A week ago last Friday was our traditional family fall outing to Apple Hill and when I came home that evening I posted my status on my face book account that it was the end of a “practically perfect” day!

We got up early on the first cool crisp morning of the fall…made a quick Starbucks stop for a Pumpkin Spice Latte and we were off.  Highlights –

  • touring the historic town of Coloma – I love history!

  • panning for gold on the American River

  • a delicious picnic lunch  at Apple Hill overlooking the beautiful mountainside and trout pond

  • enjoying the fall weather and colors while making memories with my children

  • yummy caramel apples

  • a leisurely drive down the hill watching the first rain of the season come down on the windshield and blaring music loud in the van while singing along!
  • coming home to a warm bowl of cheddar cheese soup with several friends joining around the festive fall candlelit table before heading out to the perfect Friday night activity – a Jim Elliot football game (bonus – they won!) and having my teenage girls want to sit with their Mom and Dad. 🙂

  • and finally enjoying a freshly baked apple pie ala mode on the couch with Joy – my 5 year old “night girl” (the only one that didn’t “crash” before the pie was done)
 

I lay down to sleep that night perfectly content that I had enjoyed a thoroughly memorable day with my favorite people on earth doing some of my favorite things and enjoying some of my favorite foods.

The  next “practically perfect” day was last Tuesday when life as I knew it stopped.  Instead of going, going, going from dawn to dusk – homeschooling the girls, driving to and from a multitude of sporting events and practices (we currently have three soccer players, two volleyball players and a cross country runner), tutoring a dear friends son, taking Grace to reading class and Rebekah to play rehearsal (I drive over 75 miles every Tuesday) and in between trying to keep up with my work for Creative Memories, Jim Elliot Christian High School, Cornerstone Co-op Administraton on top of being a Mom/Wife (getting food for all to eat, managing the house and getting in a quick phone call to the college daughter and having a conversation and a goodnight kiss with the dear darling hubby) – everything came to a screeching halt when baby Daniel was in the hospital and my life was quickly pared down to one assignment – being Daniel’s mommy. 

And I have to say despite the staph infection, the hospital surroundings and the lack of sleep it truly was a practically perfect day!

  • We cuddled, cuddled and cuddled some more!

  •  We ate all our meals together (cooked, delivered & cleaned up by someone else – bonus!). We read books, played ball and watched cartoons together.

  • We even chatted on the phone together to big sister in New York.
  • And while he napped I read my online devotions and daily Bible reading (that I sometimes try to say I am too busy to read….excuses, excuses) and I prayed.
  • My friends took over my life – driving my girls to their practices, tutoring schedules & rehearsals.  They brought me a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks and fed my family delicious home cooked meals.  And everything the “needed” to get done for JECHS, CM and co-op just didn’t happen.  And you know what?  Life went on.

As I laid in the crib/cage that night scrunched up next to my precious little boy I was fully content that my day had been so simple and truly enjoyable – just caring for my son and time with my Lord, a few visits from dear friends, my girls and the love of my life.

You may be thinking – “how can being in the hospital with your very sick child be a practically perfect day?”  It is because I believe that truly is not what happens in your life each and everyday that counts – it is how you view it and how you respond that makes the difference.  I choose to see and live life not through “rose colored glasses” as the saying goes but through the filter of Gods word that says –

“All things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.”

“This is the day that the Lord has made…Iet us rejoice and be glad in it!”

“In everything give thanks for this is Gods will for you in Christ Jesus.”

“Rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice.”

 Two very different days but both practically perfect in many ways.  It is all in how you see it – a lesson we could all take to heart and teach to our children.

 

5 Comments

Filed under Attitude, Family Traditions, Life at the Lambdins, Positive Words

October 13, 2008 · 9:58 am

Just another Monday morning

Just another Monday morning…..

….coffee brewing, exercises looming, chores to be completed, phones ringing, bags to be unpacked from the weekend scrapbooking event, a very full weekly calendar staring at me, hundreds of emails to answer, the girls whizzing about the house getting breakfast, doing school work, fussing with each other and wanting me to referee and of course the never ending list in front of me of “things to do, people to see, and places to go”!

Yes, just another normal Monday morning at the Lambdins yet something is very different in my heart.  With each and every mundane, routine part of my morning, I am reminded of how very blessed I am on this Monday to be here at home living my “normal” life.

You see for the past week life has been anything but routine or normal.  Our precious 17 month old baby boy Daniel, contracted a serious staph infection that turned our life into one filled with doctors, nurses, medications, IV’s, monitors, blood draws, testing, hospital gowns, masks & gloves.  I spent four days in the hospital  – holding him, comforting him, sleeping with him and praying, praying, praying for his complete healing.

And as of this Monday morning, Daniel’s health has been restored, Dan the man has headed back to work, the high school girls are in school, the rest of us are here at home, life is back to normal….and am I ever glad!  It is at times like these that we can  really appreciate the normalcy of our everyday lives.  Things could have been much different this morning – we could have still been in the hospital, Daniel could still be sick or worse yet he could have not recovered.  I am so glad that I am sitting here with chores needing to be done, multitudes of things needing attending to, errands to run, phones that need to be answered and even girls who are fussing with each other over chores.  I can’t help but smile through all the “normalcy”.  Daniel is home! Daniel is healthy! Daniel is happy!

Just another Monday morning?

No…not quite, today despite everything on my plate – the never ending “to do list” and the often exhausting, overwhelming and even at times mundane job of being a Mommy and manager of my home, while also working my home based business – I am full of gratitude as well as a realization and reminder to not take the “normal” for granted but to embrace each and everyday with all that it brings.

As you walk through the routines, embrace the challenges and enjoy the journey of your life with all its twists and turns today – take a deep breath, look around you and thank the Lord for this day that He has given to you with all its “normalcy”.  We truly do not know what tomorrow may bring – so let’s all enjoy just another Monday morning.

P.S. – Thank you for all of your wonderful prayers, notes, emails, phone calls as well as the practical support of bringing meals, driving the girls to their many activities and taking care of business for us.  We are so very blessed by you all!

 
 
 
 
 

 

9 Comments

Filed under Attitude, Blessings, Endurance, Life at the Lambdins

October 6, 2008 · 9:54 am

Perfect Peace

 “You (God) will keep in perfect peace 
 him whose mind is stayed on you, 
 because he trusts in you.

Trust in the LORD forever,  for God, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.”

Isaiah 26:3-4

This is a passage from the daily scripture reading I have sent to my email inbox and this morning it could not be any more appropriate and applicable to my current life situation. 

Life is so very unpredictable.  One day we are enjoying a fabulous fall day in gold country and Apple Hill —

 

and the next day we are in the midst of a fight against a raging MRSA staph infection that is attacking our littlest ones body with vengeance.  Yes life is unpredictable, unstable and fragile….

…..but God is the solid rock on which I can stand.  Not because He promises that life’s circumstances will always be perfect or happy, healthy and prosperous…but because He is unchanging, unshakable and immovable in His love, mercy and goodness towards us. He demonstrated that great love by sending His only Son to sacrifice  his life for us that we might live eternally. This is someone who I can put my trust in completely. If He never did another thing for me (which believe me he has done in abundance for me and my family)…His death on that cross is enough for me to trust Him implicitly and without question.

We have been here before, almost three years ago to the day, my then 2 1/2 year old daughter, Joy was hospitalized as a “treatment failure” for MRSA and it was touch and go for several days.   It was the first time since becoming a mother in 1989 that I was faced with a life threatening situation with one of my children and let me tell you…I had a tough fight with my fears and feelings. I wanted to trust God. I wanted to relinquish my control. I wanted to have “perfect peace”.  HOWEVER, I did not.  I kept looking at the “facts” (do not look up MRSA on the Internet if you want peace).  I kept thinking that there should be something I could “do” about the situation or that my power as a loving Mommy should make everything all better (it could not).  In reality nothing helped until I gave it all over to God, admitted my complete helplessness and agreed to trust Him…no matter what the outcome. (Yes…I said that hard prayer….not my will Lord…but yours!) Then the peace came….like a flood washing over my entire being.  Yes, I was still exhausted from the sleepless nights in the hospital at my baby girls side. Yes, I still prayed desperatly for complete healing. And yes, in my humanity I wanted to just wake up from this bad dream and resume life as normal.  But as I daily trusted the Lord to take control of my life….I was filled with peace and I was standing firm on the solid rock of faith.

As I lay here in bed next to my feverish baby boy whose soft pathetic cries are enough to break a mothers heart…I can honestly say that I have peace. I have peace because I trust that God is in control. (no God is not shocked, taken aback or surprised this morning that my little boy has MRSA) I have peace because God is my rock.

Perhaps someone reading this post today is in need of perfect peace – whether it is a devastating diagnosis, a broken relationship, depression, troubling times, overwhelming circumstances, personal economic crisis or a “life & death” situation – may you keep your mind “stayed” on Him and put your trust not in yourself, not in your doctors or the medical field, not in any other man or woman, not in the government or Wall Street but put your trust in God and stand on the rock!

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
 
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
  

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

14 Comments

Filed under Attitude, Endurance, Life at the Lambdins, Lifes Challenges, Motherhood

August 26, 2008 · 11:02 pm

It is bittersweet

Tonight I stood in the hallway of my daughters apartment building in New York and said goodbye.  Tomorrow morning I will get on an airplane and fly 3000 miles back to our home in California.  It is bittersweet. For those of you who may be sending a child off to college this fall (or perhaps off to the military, a missions trip or other separation) –  remember to look for the joy in the midst of the sadness.
Michelle – my – Belle….
 
I should be asleep but I can do that on the airplane tomorrow, right?
 
I just couldn’t go to bed without taking a moment to write you a letter on the eve of this monumental day in your life – your first day of college.  It grips my heart to even type those words out as I know that this is truly a season of change in all of our lives.  We will all never be the same again.  In some ways that is really very sad but in many, many other ways this change is exciting and a time for rejoicing and celebration.
 
I am sad that we will not get to physically live in the same house – enjoying that day to day contact that we always take for granted.  I will miss the hugs, the smiles, the snuggling on the couch, the kisses goodnight, our family dinners and movie nights, playing games together and the long talks about life, love and the Lord. It is just not the same without you there.
 
I am sad that “the sisters” will not have you there to look to for wisdom, advice, mentoring and spontaneous late night family room chats.  I am sad that you will not be there to cheer them on in their sporting events, watch their performances, help them with homework, drive them to activities, and celebrate their birthdays and other milestones. I am also sad that Daniel will change so much over these next four years and that our long hoped for adopted brother may arrive when you are not there to welcome him to the family.
 
Yet even with this sadness…I am rejoicing that you are going to grow, mature and be filled with knowledge and wisdom.  These next four years will build on the foundation your father and I have laid and you will “be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water and in whatever you do, you will prosper!” (Psalm 1)
 
I am rejoicing that you will make lifelong friends who will be a blessing to you and you to them.  Friends who you will inspire, motivate, challenge, influence and love, as they will you.  Friends who will become like family that you can count on and trust. Friends who our family will embrace as our own.
 
I am rejoicing that we as a family will all learn to appreciate each other more and not take our time together for granted.
 
I am rejoicing that you will be making precious memories that will last a lifetime!
 
I am rejoicing that as God’s plan for your life begins to unfold that you will be filled with wonder, awe and amazement at all that He is doing in and through you.
 
I am rejoicing that our love and the ties that bind us together are based in the Lord Jesus and that NEVER changes.
 
And I am also rejoicing that we live in a time of technology that will keep us tightly connected via cell phones, email, text messages, webcam, facebook and we will even promise to write old fashioned letters! (they called it mail – you remember with paper, pen and stamps!)
 
This is a BIG day for you, a changing of seasons and a monumental moment in time. I am so very proud of you. I believe in you. And I am standing in the wings cheering for you.
 
My prayer for you today, tomorrow and always –
 
Michelle, may the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord make His face to shine upon you.  May the Lord be gracious unto you and give you peace.
 
I love you.  Zoot! Zoot!
 
Mommy
Celebrating together – Michelle’s last night before college begins
 

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Filed under Attitude, Life at the Lambdins, Lifes Challenges, Motherhood, The King's College

July 16, 2008 · 7:44 am

I love living in Stockton!

I recently took a walk around our downtown waterfront and was immensely enjoying the redevelopment that has been a recent addition to our city.  As I was sharing this with my dear friend, Angie Guzman who works at the new downtown Sheraton Hotel, we both agreed that we loved living in Stockton and that it seemed very few people shared this sentiment.  I told her that someday I was going to blog about our city in hopes of motivating others who live here to perhaps have an attitude change.

Well just this past Sunday, the editor of the Stockton Record, Mike Klocke wrote an editorial on Stockton’s “low self image” and gave the residents of our city an assignment to write him three things we liked about Stockton and one thing we would change.  That is all the motivation I needed to write this blog that was brewing in the back of my mind.  Yes, I am well aware that Stockton is currently number one in the nation for foreclosures and illiteracy and that crime is a huge issue here but despite these things I see and choose to dwell on the multitude of wonderful attributes about our area.  I hope if you live in Stockton it will bless you, give you hope and inspiration and perhaps motivate you to make your own list of what you love about living here.  But no matter where you live take the time today to remember all that you love about your city.  There truly is “No place like home!”

The top 10 things I love about living in Stockton:
  • I love the weather.  As a military kid who moved twelve times during my first eighteen years of life (before coming to Stockton, California as a freshman to attend UOP) I have lived in places where the hot summer humidity was so bad you immediately were dripping wet with sweat anytime you ventured outdoors even a 9 o’clock in the evening! (not too mention fighting larger than life bugs that come with humid climates)  And I have stood at bus stops waiting for a school bus where the wind whipped through your heavy winter coat and chilled your bones, while the moisture actually froze solid inside your nostrils. I will take our few 100 plus degree dry heat summer days that almost always melt away into amazing cool and comfortable evenings and the just barely freezing temperatures we rarely experience over the extreme weather found in most areas of the world. I also love that we live in a city that truly does have four seasons! (rare for California) The spring is full of the many large shade trees that abound in Stockton year round along with a myriad of foliage and beautiful, colorful flowers that continue blooming for months on end.  The warm (Ok, sometimes HOT!) water enticing, ice cream devouring, lemonade drinking summers bring us a plethora of the most delicious locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables sold on the roadside and at many farmers markets throughout the city. The fall colors are more spectacular than you will see in most California cities and you can even have the experience of wearing a warm woolly sweater with a matching scarf and gloves at a Friday night football game. The short and mild winter season is perfect for enjoying delicious soups, warm bread, hot coffee and fires in your living room on a silvery afternoon when the valley wears its blanket of fog or when we are kept indoors by a few days of rain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • I love the size of Stockton.  It is not too big and not too small.  It is big enough to have most every major chain store and restaurant that you could ever want (my personal favorites – Trader Joes, Target, Starbucks, Panera’s, Family Christian, Baskin Robbins and See’s Candies) yet small enough to have many unique specialty stores and interesting local dining experiences. (like Chucks, Papapavlos,  Bobs at the Marina, Sho Mi, Best Wishes, Beyond Pots & Pans)  It’s small enough that I always run into friends and acquaintances when I am out and about, yet big enough that I can always meet someone new.  It’s big enough to offer an array of family activities to attend – from athletic events, concerts and shows to festivals, farmers markets and Friday Night Lives  – yet small enough that we are motivated to venture out to the bigger cities of Sacramento and San Francisco to take in the cultural events and activities to be experienced there. It’s small enough that I can get most anywhere I need to in 15 minutes or less – with very little traffic irritation –  yet big enough that I can take a Sunday afternoon drive out to the countryside or down the Delta waterways. It is big enough to have a wide variety of youth sports, recreation and classes yet small enough to personally know many of the coaches, teachers and parents that are involved in my children’s lives.
  • I love my Stockton church where I have attended faithfully for 25 years – the church where I celebrated my wedding and have dedicated and baptized all my children.  But even more, I love the large and diverse local Christian community that has been more united over the years by Stockton’s own Christian radio station KYCC, many prominent local pastors and more recently the Leadership Stockton Group that has sponsored events like the National Day of Prayer and the inspirational city wide Easter Sunrise Service that we have attended at Weber’s Point since it’s inception in 2000.
  • I love the lights and decorations that adorn much of the city at Christmastime – especially the fun and festivity found in the neighborhood of Meadow Drive (aka – Christmas Tree Lane) and the awe inspiring, bigger than life nativity that Alex Spanos has graciously shared with the city that has become a part of our family tradition on Christmas Eve.  In addition, the multitudes of opportunities to attend Christmas concerts, productions and services throughout the city is unending!
  • I love the stately majesty and beauty of the ivy covered brick buildings on the campus at the University of the Pacific and the grandeur of the Cathedral of Annunciation. I could drive around the Miracle Mile and Victory Park residential areas for hours looking at the lovely unique homes on the beautiful tree lined streets while my daughters point out which houses they would want to live in “someday.”
  • I love my modest 50+ year old home, my kind neighbors and quiet neighborhood, my local swimming pool and city park complete with picnic tables, a playground, ball field, basketball & tennis courts (and no I don’t live in one of the shiny new “behind the gates” master planned communities) as well as my friendly mail deliverers, PG&E meter readers and UPS drivers.
  • I love the amazing and beautiful downtown waterfront that continues to grow and develop into one of the brightest spots in our entire city.  The most puzzling thing to me is the relatively few people who actually take advantage of what our downtown offers – a fabulous playground for the little ones and great picnic spot at Weber’s Point, a perfect place to get some exercise by taking a walk while enjoying the sights and sounds of the water ways and being cooled off by the gentle Delta breezes, the games and events at the ball field and arena, the interactive water fountain on a hot summer day, dining at one of several fine restaurants, taking in a movie at the most attractive theater in the area and grabbing a coffee or ice cream before taking a romantic evening stroll with your sweetheart by the fountains surrounding the historic Hotel Stockton. Not too mention a variety of special events that are held downtown throughout the year to take advantage of.  What are you all waiting for?
  • I love that when I need to experience the sights, smells and sounds of my favorite place in the world, the seashore or I want to stand on a mountain top and feel the awesome power of God I don’t even have to plan ahead. I can be in either of these two awesome places in less than a two hour drive.
  • Surprising to some, I may even love what others loathe about Stockton. I love that we have a city that has homeless, destitute and poor as it has given us the opportunity to share our blessings with those in need, to learn kindness and compassion and it has given us a greater appreciation of what we do have, even if it is not as much as we might hope to have.  I appreciate that we have a city with the problems of trash, graffiti and unsightly areas as it gives us the chance to serve our city and teach our children the importance of taking personal responsibility for God’s creation. I think that living in a city where there is the threat of having something stolen or your home or car broken into is a constant reminder that the greatest treasures in life are truly not our money or our “things”, but rather they are our friends, our loved ones, our time, our health, our precious memories, our lives and our God. It also keeps us praying – something we could all do more of.
  • Lastly but most importantly, I love the hundreds of people who have touched and been a part of our lives over the past almost three decades of living, working, playing and worshiping in Stockton, California.  They are of every age, every skin color, every background, every personality, every economic status, every faith and from every part of town.  These special and amazing people are truly what makes Stockton the place we love to call home.

Here are just a few of those amazing people!

What I would I change?
 
Well of course I could probably make a very lengthy list of things I would love to change or additions I would like to see come our way but the greatest changes I would like to see really come down to two things:
 
Our hearts and our attitudes. 
 
If we could truly have a heart and attitude change – everything else would fall perfectly into place.  I would want the people in Stockton to have a heart for others – kindness and compassion as well as a desire to serve and give of their time, talent and treasure to make this city a better place .  Having a positive attitude – seeing the good even in the midst of the bad, enthusiasm instead of negativity, joy replacing gloom, pride overtaking apathy and hope not despair for the future  – all would go a long way to infusing this city with what it needs to become stellar.

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Filed under Attitude, Blessings

June 23, 2008 · 1:27 am

What’s wrong with this picture?

The first photo is the thermometer on our back porch which reads 86 degrees at 7:50pm tonight.  The second photo is our thermostat inside our home which reads 91 degrees!  What’s wrong with this picture?  I’ll tell you!

It is just WRONG that it is cooler outside my house than it is inside when I have the air conditioning running full blast all day, with fans blowing in every room, every curtain drawn & all the lights turned off.  Just plain wrong!

Ok….so here we are again – the temperatures are soaring in the San Joaquin Valley and our air conditioning looks to have gone on the blitz (it runs but doesn’t cool the house….at all…obviously).  We have been here before.   Eleven years ago the original air conditioning (most likely 30 years old) died at a very inconvenient time – the very beginning of summer and dear darling hubby and I were without any source of income during a huge life changing transition.  Yikes! My Mom came to the rescue loaning us the money to get a new system that worked AWESOME.  Unfortunately a couple summers ago things began to stop working well and after an entire week of repairmen  troubleshooting to try to get it up and going again….we found ourselves $900 poorer and with an air conditioning unit that would only ever cool the house down to the low 80’s.  Although this did not make this very “hot blooded” gal too happy, I have lived with it, trying hard not to complain. (and FYI 85 actually feels cool when it is 105 outside)

That brings us to last Friday – the first extremely HOT day of the summer where the mercury hit 105 and the air conditioner decided to quit working again all together! I was miserable and mad.  It is doubly painful because while the weather in Stockton always cools down in the evenings to a very comfortable and beautiful level which I enjoy immensely (and is one of my all time favorite aspects of California summers) but despite opening all the doors and windows the inside of our house just doesn’t cool off without the help of a working air conditioner.  Thus after midnight on Friday it was still 89 degrees in my house and I could not sleep even after taking a cold shower and lying in bed soaking wet with two fans blowing in my room.  In fact the coolest it ever got all night was 84 – YUCK!

Things did not improve over the weekend!  Saturday was another whopping 105 degree day and today topped off at 98.  And the inside temperature consistently stayed in the 90’s until well after 9pm, and then only creeping down ever so slowly throughout the night.

It is so hot in my house during the day that the candles are “sweating”, the chocolate chips turned into one large blob and the butter left out after breakfast began to melt away in just minutes!

It is so hot that it just zaps everyone of all their energy.  No motivation to clean, work or even play in the hot house.

So what have we done to survive the scorching heat wave with no AC?  During the day we have –

  • hung out anywhere there was air conditioning – the grocery store, Home Depot, Target, the Mall, Starbucks, friends homes, church, even the car – you name it we have been there & lingered much longer than we needed to.
  • spent much of the day at the neighborhood swimming pool.  Even me, “the mom”…who rarely gets in the pool preferring to only take a quick dip and then sit on the deck with a cold drink and a good book…was in the water almost the entire time and to the amazement of my kids even got my hair wet! (note to self – spend more time in the water with the kids – even when the AC does work!)

  • We have escaped the hot house in the evening by setting up a make shift family room outside.  Saturday night we blew up air mattresses brought the TV & DVD player outside, made fresh ice cold lemonade and root beer floats and enjoyed the cool evening watching a movie in the backyard.  When it was still too hot after midnight to go to sleep inside our house we just slept outside on the air mattresses all night! 

At least we are making memories! 🙂

It is now 12:30am – after a slight (7 degrees) dip in the temperature today – the house is still in the mid 80’s and I am in my bathing suit in front of a fan with the back door open (listening to Dan & Rebekah watch a movie outside – the other girlies have left to an air conditioned home they are house sitting for the evening).  Here I sit pondering what to do?  If finances were flowing freely – I would have called someone out on Friday and paid to fix it immediately – but that is not the case.  Besides a two year down turn in our financial situation (and before that we were not living the “high life”)…in just the past 2 weeks we have been dealt some financial blows to the tune of several thousands of dollars –

  • Discovering termites in our garage and having to have them treated to the tune of well over $1,000. (you can’t really let that go…at least I think) Check out this picture of those little buggers

  • The fuel pump went out in Dans car (and the car AC hasn’t worked in months which would be ok except the windows wouldn’t roll down either – talk about cooking your insides)  Obviously we had to fix his car since it is his only transportation to work.  “Ching Ching” – more unexpected cash out the window. On a side note  throughout the majority of our lives together, my dear darling hubby has driven pretty well worn beat up cars that were on their “last leg”.  Several were friends “cast off” cars while others were the cheapest cars we could afford.  We always say he drives by “faith & fumes”.  His current wheels have lasted 5+ years (much to the amazement of the guy we bought it from for $2,000 in 2003) – check out this picture – after a recent accident (Dan was not driving – this was attributed to a newly licenced driver in our home) and no it will not be repaired. (Dan, if you are reading this, know that I am believing that someday I will drive the “junk car” and you can have your dream truck.  It just might not happen until we are 70!)

  • Medical bills came due from a trip to the Emergency Room in an ambulance last March while we were in Santa Cruz,  when baby Daniel had a very scary episode and trouble breathing in the middle of the night. (we have a new large deductible plan at Dans job that is not working so well for us)
  • I had a back molar break a few weeks ago and am now in need (this is not a want) of a crown. (Typically a $500-$800 bill after insurance) Not to mention my recent back problems where I sought the help of a chiropractor which is not covered under our insurance)

All of those expenses came up after we made the decision to use the remainder of our tax stimulus rebate (after donating some of it for a Jim Elliot Scholarship) to finish off our garage as inexpensively as possible to make space for a boys bedroom. (click here to read about that – I’ll be posting an update tomorrow as well. If you are new to the blog and want to know why we need a boys bedroom it is because we want to adopt a baby brother – for that whole story click here) Now we have that additon started and all the remaining rebate money has been used for these unexpected situations….but we can’t exactly leave it not completed.

 Whew!  It can all be overwhelming and if I analyze everything too long I might just feel so defeated that it paralyzes me. 

So yes….I ponder what to do about the air conditioning.

  • Do we just “live with it” – knowing that the next two months we will have mostly 90+ days and if it is a normal Stockton summer there will be at least one “heat wave” of 110+ sweltering days(what a sobering thought that perhaps the inside temp might hit over 100!)? I won’t be able to hold workshops here for my business which will result in less money coming in. I will have to find creative things for my kids to do outside of the home & still figure out how to do my JECHS development job that I do from my home. (working on my lap top at Barnes & Noble?) Cooking in an already hot home is very stressful and will have to be dealt with as well because we do not eat out.  The list multiplies as I think of living in a “hot house” all summer & throughout most of September too.
  • Do we call someone out to look at it (and pay for the service call), get an idea of what we are facing and the costs…knowing that we don’t have the money to do anything?
  • Do we just take out a loan and live on “beans & rice” for the next few years as we pay it off?
  • Does Dan look for a “night job” to pay for it?

I honestly do not know the answers to these questions.  What I do know is this:

  1. God is not shocked or surprised by this turn of events in our lives
  2. God is in control
  3. God has the answer and He will give us wisdom, if we ask Him in faith. (The Bible promises that if we ask for wisdom He WILL give it to us)

Check out this chapter from the book of James in the word of God –

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

With that word of encouragement, I think I will consider it “all joy” now and go to bed.  I hope that any of you out there who are facing financial hardships and needing to know what to do (and with the struggling economy, I am sure there are many) – that you are encouraged.  Let’s all ask God for wisdom and faith.

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Filed under Attitude, Endurance, Life at the Lambdins, Lifes Challenges

May 12, 2008 · 9:40 am

Ahaaa chooo!

I love living in the Central Valley of California!

I love the beautiful & moderate weather that we experience throughout the year.  I love the size of my city and that I can get anywhere I need to in 15 minutes or less – with no traffic.  I love the trees, foliage & flowers that grace the residential neighborhood I live in. I love the cool and comfortable evenings taking walks with my husband after enjoying a delicious date night dinner. I love that I can hop in the car with the kids and be at the beach enjoying the sand & surf or in the mountains camping or snow skiing in a short two hour drive. I love my church that I have attended faithfully for almost 25 years.  I love the dear friends that I have made here. I love my home. I love the beautiful downtown waterfront. I love that I can see Starbucks from my front yard! I could go on & on about the things I love about living in Stockton. But even with all the things I love, I have to tell you that for 6 weeks every year – I am miserable!  I sometimes even find myself loathing it!  You see by living in Stockton, California I can’t escape from the allergies that seem to affect many of our residents.  Before coming here as a college freshman I never had ANY allergies.   Then I experienced my first spring in the Central Valley and now I find myself every year sneezing, gagging, itching, and with watery eyes, a runny nose & a scratchy throat.  The only thing that gets me through is a daily dose (or two) of medicine and the knowledge that “this too shall pass.”

Recently as I was going through another box of kleenex I thought – “this is just how it is with our home based businesses”.  We all love them – the products, the mission, the friends we’ve made, the income opportunity, the trips, the prizes, the recognition, the tax write offs, the conventions.  We could all come up with a long list of things that we love about our businesses.  And yet often, just like the winds of spring blow in pollens, peat dust & allergens that make me miserable, we get “stuck” on the things that make us miserable about our businesses. We find ourselves dwelling on the things that are hard or the aspects of our business that we flat out don’t like. We sometimes even think that because these aspects of business that we should just pack up & move on!

How crazy is that?  Yet even as I type this many of you are considering “throwing in the towel” because…..

  • you don’t like making phone calls
  • you are uncomfortable with sales or recruiting
  • you can’t stand doing the paperwork
  • you are sick of  cancellations
  • you have a fear of rejection or coming across as being pushy
  • or put your own frustration in here______________________

Wouldn’t it truly be crazy for me to pack up my family & move from the place we call home & the people we have grown to love simply because of six short weeks? Yes…it would!  You know why?  Because no matter where I went in the world there would be things I disliked, things that were uncomfortable, things that were not “just right” and things that made me miserable.

And the same is true with your business. It would be crazy for you to quit something that you love simply because of a few hardships, obstacles or discouragements. No matter what you do in life, there will be things that cause you grief.

The better answer is:

1. List all the things you love about your business or life, review it often and be thankful for the things it has blessed you with. (just writing here all the things that love about the place I live has helped me get through each sneeze)

2. Take your medicine every day – what is the antidote to your personal business allergy?  The best medicine for most business “allergies” is a healthy dose of positive thinking.  Are you filling your heart & mind with positive, uplifting & encouraging things?  Are you surrounding yourselves with positive, uplifting & encouraging people?  I challenge you to spend 30 minutes everyday reading a motivational book or listening to a CD. I can guarantee it will do more to bolster your immune system to business “allergies” than any single other thing you can do.  

3. Remember that “this too shall pass”.  Things never seem as bad once we have gotten through them.  In fact, I know that by mid June I will hardly even remember how miserable I am today. What you are struggling with right now in your business, the things that are making you miserable will eventually pass.  You will survive them if only you don’t quit.  You will come up with great ways to overcome obstacles, or you will learn to deal with the hardships or you will simply hang in there (perhaps even suffering a bit) until you make it through the trials & move on to the triumphs!

And as we say after each sneeze – “God bless you” – every step of the way.

 

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Filed under Attitude, Home Business, Monday Motivations

March 10, 2008 · 4:58 am

Making the most of the moment!

One of the things you become very aware of when living at the beach is that the weather changes swiftly and that it is never consistent from moment to moment or with what the weather reports say it will be.

You can wake up to a beautiful sunrise thinking “Oh it is going to be a beautiful sunny day”, only to have the clouds slowly drift in and cover up the warm sunshine.  The wind can be blowing strong one moment and then a great stillness will come upon the shore and you can barely feel the breeze upon your cheek, as you lay out baking in the sun while reading a book on the beach.  The day can begin with rain storms and a quick check on the Internet says you should stay inside and marvel at the rainstorm and roaring waves from the comfort of your living room and then in an instant the rain stops, the storm clouds part and blue skies poke through and before you know it – the makings of the most beautiful outdoor day ever!  You cannot even be guaranteed to have a “picture perfect” sunset on one of those bright, clear sunny days as just at the last moment a bank of fog may roll out to sea covering up any hope of the brilliant bright red, pink orange and golden hues that you were hoping to relish at the days end.

This phenomenon however helps me to develop a great habit of making the most of every moment because I cannot count on having another opportunity like that again.  So when I am woken up by the cries of my baby boy at an incredibly early hour and get a glimpse of the amazing sunrise over the Montery Bay peninsula, instead of rolling over and going back to sleep – I lay there awake and take it in or even get up and have my morning hot drink out on the veranda and just admire Gods handiwork. (I would love to say hot coffee – but alas for now as I fight the “fat face” and other health goals – it is hot lemon water) Or when I see the morning sun dancing down on the water forming sparkling diamonds all over the ocean, I eagerly put on my walking shoes and head out for the wonderful exhilarating walk along the seashore.  Likewise when it is rainy and cold, I take advantage of some enjoyable indoor activities like scrapbooking, writing or playing with the girls as I know as soon as the weather turns I will want to be outside (and sand, sun & scrapbooking do not mix!). On warm sunny days, I eat every meal possible out on the deck overlooking the ocean  and I enjoy every picture perfect sunset knowing that it may be the last one I have this year during my beach month hiatus.

If only I could live the rest of my life in the present just like this – making the most of every moment!  What if I stopped waiting until tomorrow to –

  • quit worrying about cleaning my house and stop to enjoy a leisurely conversation and cup of tea with a dear friend who I have been wanting to spend time with?
  • be spontaneous with my children and stop the mundane daily routine to take a walk to the park on a beautiful morning, jump in the pile of leaves on that fall afternoon, build a fire and cuddle on the couch reading books on a stormy day or one of my girls all time favorite memories of their mommy – going out in the rainstorm and stomping in every big puddle you can find or sliding down the kiddie slide into the mud puddle below until you are all completely soaked and muddy!
  • Begin those desired family traditions or put together those memory filled photo albums you have been wanting to complete and just jumped in and got going on it with even just that spare 15 or 30 minutes you occasionally have.
  • Call that friend or family member or even acquaintance that you just “happened” to think about today and tell them you love them, appreciate them or just had them on your heart or mind.
  • Kiss your spouse and tell them that you love, adore, cherish and appreciate them and get all decked out and go for a “night out on the town” or a romantic weekend get away!
  • Get up early and watch the sunrise, take a walk through a beautiful park or garden, lay on a hammock with the late afternoon sun warming your face, enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with something sweet while listening to inspirational music, lay out in your backyard on a clear evening watching the stars sparkle.

What if we all made the most of each and every moment, each and everyday day, each and every season and each and every year to simply enjoy our lives, our loved ones and Gods creation?  As I head for home later this afternoon, my prayer is that I will continue to live in and make the most of each and every moment I have.  Won’t you join me?

One of our last beach sunsets (photo by my 13 year old daughter Kristen Lambdin – as were the starfish pictures – I think I have a budding photographer on my hands – and all with a “point & shoot digital”, can’t wait to see what she does with the SLR camera she is saving her pennies for!)

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Filed under Attitude, Inspiration, Time Management

March 3, 2008 · 11:29 pm

Life Lessons by the Seashore

Last week as I was taking my morning walk, I suddenly began to notice a starfish here or there that had washed ashore.  A few steps more and there were five, then six, then 10 to 15 starfish.  Everywhere I looked there were starfish – large ones, tiny ones, green, white, red and purple ones.  They were beautiful and amazing!

 

I ran back home to get the girls to come out to the beach and see the starfish for themselves.  They quickly grabbed a bucket and filled it with ocean water to gather the starfish and put them back into the water. (after naming a few of them!)

When I first encountered the mass of starfish on the shore that morning I was immediatly reminded of a story that I had been told years ago, here it is –

 “An old man walked along a shore littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after a storm. A young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. “Why do you bother?” the old man scoffed. “Surely you cannot expect to save enough to make a difference.” The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back to the water. “I just made a difference to that one”.

A short but potentially life changing and inspiring story. More often than not we have that same scoffing voice in our own head – telling us that what we do will not make a difference.  Those voices often sound like this –

Why would you bother…..

  • volunteering your time to teach Sunday School or coach other people’s children?
  • occasionally stopping and giving your change to the homeless when they might use it to buy drugs?
  • donating your “mere” $15 to a charity, church or a missionary when others could give so much more?
  • picking up stray garbage as you walk down the street when you can never make a dent in it?
  • to work so hard for so little money at your full time ministry vocation with little visible results?
  • powering through all the hassles of adoption when you already have children?
  • sponsoring a child in a third world country when hundreds if not thousands of others will die of starvation?
  • spending countless hours giving pre-marital counseling knowing that according to statistics one out of every two couples may divorce?
  • sharing words of wisdom, inspiration or motivation to many when only a few will actually do something different with their life because of it?

Why bother?  Because if it will make a difference in at least one life – then to me – it is worth it!

 

Who will be the one you make a difference for today?

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Filed under Attitude, Making a Difference

March 1, 2008 · 2:27 pm

A face without freckles….

….is like a night without stars!

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Filed under Attitude

January 29, 2008 · 8:32 am

More than is humanly possible

In the next 10 days I have more to do than is humanly possible!  Have you ever had one of those times in your life – when you look at your calendar, appointments, “to do” list and upcoming deadlines – and simply feel overwhelmed with the weight of what has to be done? Of course you have! 

Without giving you my “laundry list” or playing the “I am busier than you” game – let me just say that besides all the work that it takes to pack and get my family of nine ready to head to the beach for our annual “hiatus” in Aptos next week – I have to complete my yet to be started taxes (yes, I know it is way before the April deadline – but for financial reasons and college aide forms it must be done before I leave), I am smack n the middle of the adoption process and begin interviews for our home study today (yes, we are “biting the bullet” and using most of our adoption fund for it & believing God to provide the rest), I have a monumental and major event I am responsible for this Saturday night, “The Founders Gala” for Jim Elliot Christian High School with over 250 in attendance!

So, what do you do when you have bitten off more than you can chew?  You chew it, of course!  But let me give you a few things that get me through these seasons of life with a smile on my face and joy in my heart.

  1. Give it to God! –  The good thing about doing more than is humanly possible – it means you must let God do it!  So often when we get overwhelmed we forget to stop and give it all back to the Lord.  Life is so much easier and less stressful when we let God control it.
  2. Let others help you!  This is something that I am still learning to do.  Ultimately when we feel like we have to do it all ourselves (read here – “or it won’t get done right”) – it is really another way that we are trying to be “in control” of everything.  Another reason we don’t ask others to help us is because we don’t want to impose on anyone.  Neither of these reasons is valid.  Again – God wants to be “in control” (and He can handle it far better) and we rob people of the opportunity to serve and be blessed when we do not ask for help.
  3. Do the next thing!  Often when we are overwhelmed we get paralyzed and do not do anything or we do meaningless tasks to distract us while trying to ignore the BIG things looming ahead that we need to take care of.  I have found if we will simply focus on what it is we need to do next and then do it, not fretting over what is ahead, we will get it all done. We all spend far too much time worrying about all that we need to do and far less time actually completing the tasks.
  4. Done is better than perfect!  Enough said – all you perfectionists out there – join me in my recovery – and get over it!
  5. Let go of the little things! There are certain seasons of life where some things just don’t matter.  When I am in the midst of an overwhelming time I let things that are not all that important go.  These things include but are not limited to –  having a spotless house, doing my hair and make up (and sometimes if I don’t have to go out – I don’t even get dressed at all!), or preparing meals (you can still sit down at a candlelit table with your family eating grilled cheese sandwiches and canned soup).
  6. Keep your priorities in order!  When we have an overloaded schedule the first things we often let go of our are priorities.  We don’t have time to – pray, exercise, play with the little ones or stop and talk to a friend.  I have learned the hard way that when you let go of your priorities, you lose.  So despite my current abundance of “tasks” to accomplish – I start the day with prayer asking God to “HELP ME!” (and yes sometimes I am shouting that), I make myself take a walk daily (and dear darling Dan  comes with me so we can get some good quality time together talking too), I stop and walk away from the computer to play with the baby or cuddle and laugh with Joy (and note to self – I need to take more time with the older girlies as well), I sit down on the couch with a friend who drops in unexpectedly needing to talk about her current heartbreak. In past days I would have seen all these as distractions, disturbances and obstacles to overcome so that I could get my tasks accomplished – today I call them “divine appointments” that the Lord sends my way to keep my priorities right!

And one of those priorities – the cutest baby boy in the entire world – is up and ready to eat breakfast…so I will end this post here and look forward to the work ahead of me knowing that God is in control!

Proverbs 16:9
“The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.”

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Filed under Attitude, Endurance, Lifes Challenges, Monday Motivations, Priorities

December 25, 2007 · 3:23 pm

Christmas Morning – a new tradition begins!

During our family advent services we talk a lot about why Jesus came to the earth.  One of those reasons is that He came to serve others.  This year we began something that will be sure to become our newest family tradition!

Matthew 20:28   “Just as the Son of Man did  not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life  a ransom for many.”

Before opening our gifts and before enjoying our gooey cinnamon rolls with piping hot coffee, we all decided that we wanted to get up in the morning with our mind focused completely on others – especially those others who are hungry, hurting & homeless.  So on Christmas morning (not too early because we are not early risers), we got up and made a large container of hot chocolate and another of coffee.  We gathered together all the over abundance of goodies we had in the house – cookies, candy, crackers, cup cakes, fudge – and we put on jackets & sweatshirts over our jammies, jumped in our 15 passenger van and headed downtown to the freeway overpass where many of our cities homeless are located.

On the way we sang Christmas carols while we planned out how we would serve out of the side of the van.  As soon as we pulled up and opened the doors, people started seeing the coffee cups being passed out and began lining up by the van. We all enjoyed passing out the hot drinks and the goodies as we wished them all a very Merry Christmas. Everyone was so appreciative and you could see their faces light up as they drank their coffee or cocoa and clutched their cookie or piece of candy.

One man commented – “It’s the little things in life that make all the difference!”  How wonderful to be so very thankful for something in the midst of hard times.  We could all take a lesson from that.

After we ran out of supplies, we headed back home with joy in our hearts that we were able to make a difference in the lives of almost 100 people on a day set aside to celebrate Jesus.  Perhaps we were actually serving the Lord Himself!

Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. `For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’  “Then the righteous will answer Him, `Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? `And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?  `When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, `Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.

Matthew 25 35-40

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Filed under Attitude, Christmas Season, Family Traditions

October 15, 2007 · 2:09 am

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Several years ago, after coming home from a fabulous scrapbooking weekend, my dear darling husband said with exasperation, “I think I have sung the itsy bitsy spider song…300 times!”  I laughed, apologized for not warning him, and told him that this was our then 3 year olds favorite thing to do and to get use to it…because it didn’t look like it would end anytime soon!

Do you all remember that simple little song?  It has great applications for working hard and acheiving success in life! (be sure to sing & do the hand motions as we take a look at this song…its much more effective!)

“The itsy bitsy spider…went up the water spout”   

Do you ever feel “itsy bitsy” with a huge, hard or new task ahead of you?  Yes, sometimes when we are beginning a business, career, relationship, fitness regimen, diet, budget or organizational plan or perhaps just adjusting to a new season of life (moving, going away to college, getting married, having your first baby…or 2nd, 3rd, 4th, becoming single again through death or divorce), we simply are not confident that we can really do it. We feel just like the itsy bitsy spider….a small insect trying to scale a seemingly impossibly high pipe.  BUT just like the itsy bitsy spider….we have to just start going up the water spout…..no matter how hard and high it seems to be….we need to simply begin to climb and move forward.

“Down came the rain…and washed the spider out” 

YES, it may be depressing but it is true. The rain will come…..to everyone! Everyone has had the rain come down on them & wash them out.  DO NOT THINK for one minute that those who seem to have “made it” have not experienced everything that you have gone through.  They have had hardships – sickness & disease, handicaps, financial setbacks & ruin, emotional stress & pain, devastating loss, rejection, intimidation, betrayal….you name it….they have experienced it and YOU WILL TOO!  It’s part of living. (If you do not believe it – read Matthew 5:45 – the rain falls on both the good and the bad!)

“Up came the sun & dried up all the raindrops” 

Now that we have been reminded that the rain will come, let’s be diligent at getting the sun to dry up all those raindrops!  The sun is often our attitude and outlook.  You’ve all heard the saying that negative people see the cup half empty and positive people see the cup half full. Well, let’s go one step beyond that and say….successful people see the cup completely full! (half full of water & half full of air).  The better our outlook and attitude…the faster those rain drops will dry up & we can get on and about our business of climbing. I have said it before & I’ll say it again – we need to guard our hearts, minds & spirits from anything negative.  We need to aggressively pursue a positive attitude & outlook, not just sit by and hope we will see life through rose colored classes. Its as easy as 1…2…3 1. Cast out any negative thoughts & attitudes2. Fill your mind with positive (books, emails, videos, audio tapes & uplifting music)3. Surround yourself with positive, inspiring & successful people 

“And the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.”

Ok….so its not exciting but consistency works!  You simply must get out there and CONSISTENTLY keep climbing.  There is no short cut, there is no other way.  Do the right things and do them over & over & over & over and yes even over again (even when you don’t “feel” like it and despite the rain…because it will come) and you will succeed at anything you want to do in this life. Iza Trapani told & illustrated a book about the itsy bitsy spider that ended with this verse:

 The itsy bitsy spider

Climbed up without a stop

She spun a silky web

Right at the very top

She wove and she spun

And when her web was done,

The itsy bitsy spider

Rested in the sun.

May you all begin the climb today not letting the rain stop you, keeping a positive outlook, consistently working hard day in and day out until you are resting in the sun, basking in the contentment and joy of a job well done.

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Filed under Attitude, Consistency, Home Business, Monday Motivations

October 1, 2007 · 4:31 pm

It’s a brand new day!

It is a Monday. It is the 1st day of October. It is the beginning of fall.

As I turn the calendar over to a brand new day, week, month & season…..I can’t help but feel that in a small way today is a new beginning, a fresh start, a chance to do new things in a new way, a blank slate with no mistakes on it.  One of the things I loved about being raised in a military family & moving every few years growing up, was the ongoing opportunity to start over & begin again.  As we pulled into our new city, I remember thinking that I could be & do anything I desired.  I had no reputation to live up to or to try to change or overcome.  No one knew my personality or preferences, my strengths or weaknesses, my failures or successes.  No one even knew my name.  I could start completely over and become anyone that I wanted to be.

Now the bottom line is that no matter where we go, our basic God given personality does not change and we still operate in our areas of strength and still have weaknesses to deal with.  But….within those areas there is still a great deal of room for personal growth & change and we can always work on our character flaws as well as trying new and different things.  As I sat in the back of our latest station wagon  (you rember the ones with the wood laminate paneling & the back seat that faced the rear…oh the memories!) driving across the country I had lots of time to think about my life and what I wanted it to look like.  I remember consciously deciding to be more friendly & outgoing with one move, to be a better student with another and to overcome negative peer pressure and be a leader rather than a follower after moving in high school. I even changed my name several times, as is evidenced by school work my mother saved for me. (When you are named Virginia Elizabeth & your parents called you Beth…I had many options to go by new names….my real first name, my formal middle name or variations of either…Ginny,Gin,  Liz, Lizzy, Betty, Betsy  etc…. It was quite amusing when those first friends would come to the door & ask for “Ginny” and no one in my house had any idea who that was!)

Who is it that you want to be today?  What do you want to change about your life?

Are you tired of that extra 20, 30 or 40 pounds hanging around your waistline and want to change your physical appearance, become healthier or fit into the closet full of “skinny clothes”? You can begin a healthier lifestyle today – eating less, exercising more. (darn it! It really is that simple…what are we waiting for?) Forget your past failures…it is a new day!

Do you want to finally get that home business up & going and accomplish your personal goals?  It is a new week! Start making those phone calls, marketing your services, brush up on your skills, make a business plan and begin to work that plan now.

Is there something about your character that you want to change? Do you want to stop gossiping, complaining, worrying, being negative, mean spirited, crass or condescending?  Are you arrogant, argumentative, short tempered, stubborn, selfish, a perfectionist, always playing the victim, dishonest or lazy?  (ouch! That’s an overwhelming list that I find myself “guilty as charged” in many areas.)  We can begin now to improve our character.  Pick something that you want to work on and ask for assistance from family or friends who can point out to you when you fall back into this sin. I have found one of the best ways to overcome character flaws is to actively do the exact opposite. For example – instead of gossiping say something complimentary about the person you were about to talk about, instead of complaining look for & talk about the good & positive things in life, instead of being a perfectionist let things go on purpose, when you feel like being lazy force yourself up off the couch and get going on a project.

Are you wanting to be a better wife and mother? Do you want to be purposeful about having a “dream marriage” and raising children who will grow up confident knowing they are loved, valuable and have a great purpose to make a difference in their corner of the world?  Today is the day!  Text message your dear darling hubby at work & tell him you love & appreciate him and you can’t wait for him to come home. Hug your kids, pray for them and begin planning how you can help shape their lives through training, teaching & role modeling the qualities you want them to have. 

Do you desire to know the Lord more intimately? Do you want to develop a daily discipline of prayer & reading the Bible? This is a lifetime quest and battle for everyone who loves the Lord and wants to know Him. The amazing thing is that God Himself is just waiting to love us, speak to us, teach us & help us with each & every new day!  Read Lamentations 3:22-26    The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks  Him.

Yes, it is a bright new day! A sparkling new week! A brand new month! A fresh new season!   Take some time today to think about what you want your life to look like and what you need to begin to do to accomplish that.  Put aside the past with all its mistakes and failures and begin a fresh new life today full of hope for the future that it will be all that you dream & desire.

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Filed under Attitude, Goals & Dreams, Home Business, Monday Motivations

September 24, 2007 · 8:28 pm

A bit of inspiration

For almost a decade I have been writing motivational messages on a Monday.  Why?  Strangely, it began because I was not feeling very motivated to accomplish much of anything.  My home based business had just taken a few disappointing turns, my household seemed to be in a constant state of chaos (I can’t imagine why with 4 very active young children), we were financially stressed beyond belief and it was just one of those Mondays that the Carpenters use to sing about – “Hangin’ around, nothing to do but frown, rainy days & Mondays always get me down”

As I sat at my desk staring blankly at my computer screen I came across an article written about a very successful business woman in my field.  As I read not only about her impressive financial achievements but her outstanding leadership and her family priorities, I became inspired!  It was not a new article to me. In fact I had read it several times over the previous year but at that moment it sparked something in my heart and mind that spurred me to action.  I instinctively knew that if I needed some motivation & inspiration to “get up & get going” that there were probably many others in my sphere of influence – family, friends, team members and clients – that needed some motivation too.  Instead of hoping they would happen to run across something inspiring, I decided to send them a bit of motivation via their email inbox.  The response was overwhelmingly positive.  What began with an email to several dozen people, all of whom I knew personally, grew to several thousands of people from all walks of life and has recently resulted in a blog web site that will hopefully inspire, encourage, motivate & bless countless others.

Isn’t it amazing what a bit of inspiration can accomplish?

Inspiration has built great cathedrals, designed awesome works of art and composed musical masterpieces. Inspiration has invented wonders, began companies and made millionaires. Inspiration has caused wrongs to be made right, cures to be found and brought hope to the helpless.  Inspiration has established institutions, created amazing ideas and brought unity.  Inspiration has overcome the odds, broken the record, fought the unbeatable foe and made many a champion.  Inspiration has even resulted in love, sweet precious babies and 50 year wedding anniversaries.  Inspiration has brought dreams to life!

It cannot be denied, true inspiration moves us to action.  I know you are all thinking…..”If a bit of inspiration can do all that…..how can I get some?” It really is simple just discover what you are inspired by and be sure that your life is immersed in the inspirational.

Personally I am inspired by –

  • a person who is achieving greatness no matter how big or small –  I feel challenged & motivated when I read about, watch, see or know someone who is doing something significant with their lives.
  • an encouraging comment on a job well done – It inspires me to do more when I am appreciated and when others notice my gifts, talents & strengths (we ought to all try this inspiration on our children!)
  • zest, passion & enthusiasm –  When I see someone truly passionate & enthusiastic about their life, beliefs & activities it makes me want to jump on board! I try to spend the majority of my life around these types of individuals. (even if it is via motivational speakers on CD or DVD)
  • those with disabilities who overcome amazing odds –  We are all disabled in some way & those whose physical or mental disabilities do not stop them from achieving are great inspirations for me to get it in gear. This recent video sent to me by a dear friend who has a daughter with Downs Syndrome was inspirational…watch it!
  • music and media – I have often heard a song played that has stirred my heart and changed my attitude or even spurred me to action. Music has an incredible emotional power. I also have often been inspired to do something by a message in a movie. (most recently The Ultimate Gift – an inspirational must own movie!)
  • financial rewards – I am highly motivated by what money can do for myself & others.  I have many plans & dreams for my life as well as organizations, ministries and people I would love to bless in big ways.  It inspires me to work hard, be creative, innovative and take risks.
  • Gods Word, love and creation – perhaps this should have been at the top of the list (although they are not in any particular order).  I am inspired in every way when I read the Word of God. It challenges, motivates & moves me to action.  His love is amazing and His creation (especially babies and the beach) is constantly awe inspiring and leading me to love others, to live an abundant life, to have joy, to create, to speak and to write.

So I immerse myself in the inspirational and find that most of my life I am truly inspired and moved to action!  May you too find your inspiration and immerse yourself in it.

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Filed under Attitude, Home Business, Inspiration, Monday Motivations