I read a great article today by Jon Acuff, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. His article today was titled, “Three People You Need to Ignore Online: The Spectator, The Hater, and The Complainer.” I loved this article. He writes it to encourage online bloggers- encouraging them to not listen to critics who don’t provide constructive criticism, but rather only have the sole purpose of destroying their dreams. But, not only does this article apply to online voices, but can also apply to voices in our daily lives. I want to make sure I capture this article and reflect back on it from time to time.

Jon Acuff’s Article

Here are 3 people to stay away from:

1. The Spectator


Do you know who the football coach never invites into the locker room for some advice during halftime? The spectators. The wide receiver never runs into the stand and asks for feedback from someone sitting in the 10th row.

Why? Because spectators aren’t on the field. They aren’t playing. They’re watching other people do it.

What does that mean for you? It means you need to ignore the person who hates your blog but doesn’t have their own. They’re just a spectator. Their hands aren’t dirty. Their knowledge has not been paid for with experience. Ignore them. Instead, get feedback from other bloggers, other people who are in the trenches where you are.

1. The Hater


It’s time to require the “squeaky wheel gets the oil” theory. For years it caused many of us to ignore the people who liked our dream in order to focus our energy on the people who hated it. (I call this theory, “Critic’s Math,” which is “1 insult + 1,000 compliments = 1 insult.” We have the ability to receive 1,000 compliments and ignore them in the face of 1 insult.)

The truth is, you should never waste time trying to turn someone who hates you into someone who likes you. Instead focus on turning people who like your dream into people who love your dream.

So how do you know who a hater is? Simple, someone who hates on something without a solution to make it better is a hater. If they don’t have a fix, an idea, a spark of improvement, they’re just there to hate. That’s one of the main differences between hate and feedback.

Feedback’s goal is to cause improvements. Hate’s goal is to cause wounds. Let them go.

1. The Complainer


A complainer is someone who won’t respond when you attempt to fix a problem. For example, let’s say you strongly disagree with something I wrote on my blog and I ask you a clarifying question. If you don’t respond, you’re a complainer.

If you respond, you’re a conversationalist and we can talk. That’s completely different. We can debate. We can go back and forth until we might even reach a resolution. That’s the beauty of the Internet, a simple question can clarify so many of the nuances that can be misinterpreted.

There are going to be a thousand people you can’t ignore as you chase a dream. Friends, family, supporters, helpful critics, you will never run out of people you need to make time for. And a lot of them will have great feedback for you.

But cut yourself some slack and ignore the three we talked about today. Nothing good will come of giving them your time.

My 28 Thanks:

1. Words that bring Wisdom.

2. Great writers. I have had the honor of reading several of their works.

3. An education.

4. A love of reading.

5. I can ignore negative voices who don’t offer any constuctive help.

6. A beautiful morning.

7. 45 minutes of reading time.

8. My mom came to town for a visit.

9. Lunch together at Panera Bread.

10. Gary made an amazing fruit salad and we munched on it!

11. I ended my staycation with Pastor on Call duties. But, I only got one call today. That is a good way to ease back into work.

12. Got everything set up for Sunday in a timely manner.

13. Gary and I had a conversation about our dreams today.

14. I learn something new about my husband all the time.

15. He has some really great dreams.

16. I think I could totally help him with them.

17. My mom reminded me of one of my favorite children’s books. It is a Little Golden Book entitled, Charlie. I loved that book. The alley cat, Charlie, found a new home in a courtyard and played tiger in the grass. I looked for a while and finally found it online. But, it is currently sold out. I must get that book.

18. Sharing childhood memories with my mom.

19. My mom takes great care of herself. She is a beautiful woman and so healthy.

20. If I sit down, Judah always wants to be in my lap.

21. My little boy gave me lots of kisses today.

22. Hide and Seek is never boring with a 3 year old. We love playing games together.

23. Judah has made up a new game that makes all our wood floors “hot lava.” If I step on the floors, he becomes the lava monster and gets to get me. It is impossible to walk around in my home and avoid the hot lava…fun times!

24. Gary took Judah for a walk and let my mom and me enjoy a Hallmark movie together.

25. My mom still asks questions while watching a movie! She makes me smile.

26. We were able to help a guy with his car at the gas station today.

27. I am excited about the Back 2 School Fuel services and a new Back 2 School series I am putting together entitled, Shine the Light.

28. Progress.

I had too much on my mind to record it late at night, so here are my thoughts and thanks for July 17:

I read the following words in the conclusion of my book and they spoke profoundly to me. I wanted to make sure and capture them, so here goes.

Your greatest source of motivation is finding untapped potential yet within you. You see, your future is not what lies ahead of you. It is what lies within you. 

Potential is everything you can be but haven’t become yet. It is everything you can do but haven’t done yet. It’s everywhere you can go but haven’t gone yet. Potential is the books you can write that you haven’t written yet. It is the life you’ve wanted to live but haven’t lived yet. It is like a huge engine–running idle. It is energy still underutilized, power yet unleashed, and strength yet unused…Potential always lies ahead of you, not behind you. It is found in what can still be done, not in what you have already done. 

As I end this great read, I am also coming to the end of my 8 day sabbatical. Time off was crucial for me in this season. I had come to a point in my personal and professional life where I didn’t “feel” that I had anything left to give. I was truly leading on empty. Simple tasks had become difficult. Creativity, out of the box thinking, and taking risks were no longer appealing. I was living each day with the goal of just making it through to the next one. Many factors, over the last year, have led to this depletion. Bottom line, I was tired and I needed rest. I needed to remove myself from all expectations outside of God, Gary, and Judah, and rediscover my potential. I needed to realize that I hadn’t used up all my potential.

Thankfully, God designed in His plan of creation a day of rest. Think about it…as humans, we can’t CREATE, but we can imitate one day of God’s amazing week and that is the seventh day… a day of REST! The sabbath is a declaration by God that His work was done and it was good. We don’t need to add to it. God’s people were instructed to keep His example by doing nothing to advance their own cause on that day. God, in all His intelligence, actually designed rest as part of His creation plan because He knew we needed it in order to remain FRUITFUL  and FAITHFUL.

Genesis 2:2-3 reads, “By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it.” Out of all the days of creation, He made the seventh day (rest day) a Holy day.

Often times, we say that we will rest when the work is done. But, let’s be honest, THE WORK WILL NEVER BE DONE. I am convinced that the needs in your life will always be great, people will always have an expectation of you, chores will always need to be done, decisions will always need to be made, groceries will always need to be bought, kids will always need to be shuffled to and fro, and on and on and on and on…but, you have to come to a place where you decide, you plan, you create, you determine, you schedule, and most importantly, you protect a sabbath day for you and your family.

You can’t base your life on the expectations of others…no matter who that “other” is. You have the power to control your pace. You have the power to control your rest. I believe that if you rest and pace yourself, you will always see your potential and you will always be hungry.

My 28 Thanks:

1. Your potential always lies ahead of you.

2. You can never deplete your God-given potential.

3. Even Paul, the Apostle, no longer a young lad was trapped in prison and facing the possibility of death and knew he still had potential. He writes in Phillipians 3:12, “I don’t mean to say that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.”

4. Your hunger can always be renewed.

5. The transparency of other people. Because they allow their story to be shared, people like me can learn great things of what to do and what not to do.

6. God rested.

7. God blessed the seventh day and SANCTIFIED IT!

8. Genesis 2:2-3. Pull it up right now and read it and figure out a way to practice it in your life if you are not.

9. I have the power to control my pace.

10. I have the power to call a rest.

11. Work will never be done…Job Security:)

12. Nehemiah 10.

13. Gary, Judah, and I had a family super hero dress up morning. I can’t believe I am sharing this over the World Wide Web. But, it was a ton of fun and Judah laughed a lot!

14. Gary still has his 1986 game, Mousetrap, and it is in great condition. We play it with Judah often. Judah gets sad when the mice get trapped. So sweet.

15. Gary takes care of EVERYTHING. Seriously, he still has a crayon collection from his childhood that is in mint condition. He folds his clothes in ways that preserve the quality. And, I could go on. I love this quality about him because he so cares for his family too. More than I can even express with words.

16. Gary has really funny quirks. And, I know them. I love this part of marriage. He knows mine too.

17. Gary doesn’t have a blog page to publicly declare my quirks! Ha Ha Ha.

18. I took a nap.

19. Judah had fun playing with his cousins.

20. I am already planning my next session of rest!

21. We took a walk around the neighborhood.

22. We live in a great, clean neighborhood.

23. Our neighborhood doesn’t have a ton of cars parked along both sides of the street. This is so much safer.

24. I have had some awesome changes in my health since I have been on this week of rest.

25. I have a job that allows me time off to rest.

26. Gary and I enjoyed a movie together.

27. Gary helped me do sound effects for the 3 Little Pigs. It took our bedtime story time to another level of fun. But, it didn’t help Judah settle down any at all!

28. My kidmin team is out of this world amazing. I have so many people in my life who know how to fill in gaps, make things happen, and go above and beyond in ministry. Thankful, very thankful, for teammates who I also call my family.

My 28 Thanks:

1. My morning began with a cute little finger tapping ever so gently on my cheek. Then, I heard the words, “Mommy, wake up. The sun is up.”

2. Every day is a new day for God to do something wonderful and new in your life.

3. Morning time.

4. Our little family went to the Zoo today and it was fun.

5. Morgan, our neice, joined us for the Zoo trip.

6. We rode the train all around the Zoo. It was my first time to do that and it is totally the way to see the Zoo.

7. Chiropractic adjustments. My brother is awesome and always works us in.

8. I felt much better after my adjustment.

9. I love natural health treatments like adjustments, honey and cinnamon, and coconut oil, and etc…

10. I learned today that a human brain is capable of processing up to 70,000 thoughts a day.

11. I am a learner.

12. The human body and mind astounds me. God is a great, indescribable God.

13. I know that the Giraffe has a heart the size of a basketball which weighs 23 lbs. The Giraffe has the highest blood pressure of all species. Hopefully, this information will be a trivial pursuit question one day and I will ace it!

14. Charlie did an awesome Back 2 School Fuel graphic for me.

15. We got an amazing, second row parking spot at the Zoo.

16. The Zoo wasn’t crowded at all.

17. Gary cooked dinner again while I played outside with Judah.

18. We got to enjoy the outdoors before the welcomed rain came again.

19. I am learning some important tools to put into practice that will help me modify the way I have been living.

20. My mother-in-law surprised Gary with his favorite cooking pan. He was so excited. He is truly a gadget/kitchen utensil guy.

21. My in-laws came over tonight for a chat. They are sweet, caring people.

22. Judah kept his shoes on for every car ride today…big accomplishment.

23. Jetted tub time.

24. Judah fell asleep as soon as I said, “The End” to  another one of my stories. He is so attentive while I tell them. I should record them and write children’s books. That would be fun.

25. Night time prayers with Judah.

26. God is love.

27. He can’t be anything else, but love.

28. His love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me.

My 28 Thanks:

1. My grass is so green.

2. We have amazing July rainfall totals. I don’t remember ever getting this much rain in July.

3. We took Judah to his first movie today…He loved Despicable Me 2.

4. Gary and I laughed more than Judah during the movie.

5. My husband is a big kid at heart. He loves animation movies and I love what he loves…mostly:)

6. Judah loved eating a whole candy bar at the movies.

7. We saw old friends and their kids at the movies today.

8. We had Pei Wei for lunch. Judah loves their chicken and so do I!

9. We went shopping at TJ Maxx. We didn’t buy much, but had fun looking at all the gadgets.

10. Gary is a gadget guy. Any store that has gadgets provides me an opportunity to hold him accountable for purchases.

11. Judah has great influence on what I buy. Today, I purchased orange wash cloths, orange drawer organizers, and orange soap. Judah loves orange.

12. We all held hands while walking down the sidewalk today.

13. Gary made his amazing chicken pot pie for dinner.

14. We ate dinner outside.

15. My friend, Danielle, misses me. I miss her too. She makes people feel special and really gets to know people for who they are.

16. Received some sweet text from friends this week. Friends are so important in ones life!

17. Fresh cantaloupe.

18. I saw lots of dads at the movies with their kids. I love seeing dads spend special times with their kids.

19. Dads.

20. We had a family dance party tonight. Judah picked the music and we had a blast dancing to the music.

21. Enjoyed a much needed conversation with Bethany. I miss her so much.

22. Imagination play with my sweet Judah.

23. Popcorn and movie night with Gary.

24. Gary made the popcorn. His is the best.

25. God always has a plan to make all things new again.

26. Together is a wonderful place to be.

27. I am in a great place.

28. Saturation…physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental saturation in His rain.

We are almost completely unpacked in our new home. Just a few boxes remain and do you know what those boxes consist of…that’s right, JUNK! Junk is the hardest to unpack. Why? Junk doesn’t belong in any specific space and for some reason we think we need to keep it around for that “what if” time when we might, just maybe, you never know, use it moment. So we spend hours, even days, thinking about the perfect location to store this “I may need this item in the winter…junk.”

In all reality, it needs to meet my good pal, Mr. Dumpster. This topic could preach. But, I am going to let you and me stew on this a little while and we can all work on introducing our junk to the dump…(that is almost a slant rhyme for all you English peeps out there. Okay, maybe not. But, the way I read it, sounds like it).

My 28 Thanks:

1. Gary and I enjoyed some quiet time together this morning before Judah got up.

2. Gary made pancakes this morning for breakfast. Judah and Gary love pancakes. I love how they can eat whatever they want and not gain a pound! Ha Ha…

3. I ate my healthy Ezekiel toast. I am not big on wasting my calories on something like a pancake. Besides, I like a healthy kickstart for my morning.

4. My kidmin team did a fantastic job without us this morning. I knew they would.

5. Angela sent me a text that read, “We survived.” At least no one was left duct taped to their chair. Proud of Angela…she was stretched on stage today, but accepted the role and did well.

5. I spent the entire day at my home. I did not go anywhere. The furthest I traveled was the edge of my driveway.

6. I did not put makeup on today. Just natural me.

7. Spent the entire morning painting on the back porch. In my new home, I have an entirely new color scheme. So, instead of buying new stuff, I am just painting old stuff.

8. The rain was so relaxing.

9. I have a big back porch.

10. I was patient and took my time while painting this morning. Waiting for paint to dry is not one of my strong suites…you can apply this to many things about me. Ask Gary…

11. Judah loved helping me paint. He had the cutest turquoise mustache at one point.

12. Matthew Chapter 5.

13. Reading the Bible tells us more about our God.

14. I can read the Bible in public and in private…I am free to do so.

15. Judah helped me make macaroni and cheese for lunch. He has so much fun just being together.

16. Halmark Channel.

17. Christmas movies in July. I love love love a good love story.

18. Judah and I laid in bed together today and watched one of my childhood favorite animated movies, Robin Hood.

19. Snuggle time with my sweet little boy. He let me kiss his face too…a bunch.

20. Gary serves me any chance he gets. He is so sweet to me.

21. Every hour of today was an opportunity to rest.

22. I made an awesome green enchilada casserole, my husband’s favorite, for dinner tonight.

23. We were able to share with my sis-in-law and family.

24. I am reaping the harvest of preparing great soil for my potted plants. They are looking fabulous.

25. Judah asked me to tell him a story tonight. It was my best camp fire and butterfly catching story yet.

26. Through praise, you can change your perspective.

27. Tonight, Crossroads Church joined together in the first 10,000 reasons night of worship. Collectively, they came up with 10,000 reasons to Bless the Lord in one church service setting. I watched online and was moved to tears many times to see my Lord blessed with praises from His people. He delights in the praises of His people.

28. Selah…

“My goal in life isn’t to GET Rich, but rather BE RICH.” What a great quote. I want to be rich in every area of my life…my family life, my friendship life, my faith life, my marriage life, and my ministry life. I want to live a life of intentionality. I want to live a life that is intentional to be rich in every area.

(My below thoughts come from notes I made while reading a new book)                                                                                                                                         When we were younger, our lives existed in somewhat of an automatic mode. We automatically made friends, we just need another recess to make a few more. We could eat whatever we wanted and still remain relatively slim and fit (most of us anyway). We woke up, got dressed, and went to school. Things just seemed to happen. But, then a change takes place. At some point in our lives, some earlier than others, a shift occurs from automatic to manual. We become responsible (intentional) to shift the gears and make things happen. Eventually, we must be intentional about maintaining and growing our marriages, our friendships, our waistlines, our family, our faith, and our emotional health.

My 28 Thanks:

1. I am rich.

2. I am full.

3. I am blessed.

4. I desire an intentional life.

5. I have a wonderful, loving family.

6. Our family has little conflict.

7. My marriage is rich and healthy.

8. My waistline isn’t were I want it to be, but it is better than it has been!

9. My faith is growing.

10. My emotional health is better.

11. I am working on being a better friend.

12. There are certain people and things and priorities I will NOT give up on. Not now, not ever.

13. I am determined.

14. Another morning of sand pile fun with Judah.

15. We worked all morning in our yard.

16. Yard work is super relaxing to me.

17. My plants and trees are adjusting well to their new soil.

18. Judah took a long nap and Gary and I were able to get more stuff done around the house.

19. We stayed home most of the day.

20. We had dinner at the in-laws.

21. My sister in law is recovering well and looks good.

22. My nephew, Kaden, is so sweet. Judah had a blast playing with him.

23. Abby, my little niece, wanted to snuggle with me on the porch swing.

24. I didn’t have any plans today. Things just happened and for the first time in my life or in a long time, I allowed it. (Talk about being intentional…ha ha ha).

25. Safety and Security.

26. My friend, Holly, always thinks of me when she is out shopping for steals and deals. She found a beautiful decorative piece for only $10.

27. Sweet text exchanges between me and my mom.

28. Gary was supposed to work at the fire station yesterday. But, his officer called and said, “My plans got cancelled, Gary. Do you want my day off?” Absolutely blessed. So thankful for the crew of awesome men that my husband works with and the day off!

Last night, I fell asleep before recording my 28 Thanks to the Lord. However, we had a great day and there is still much to thank Him for. My thoughts from July 12:

We ended our day playing outside in a sand pile that was left over from the construction of our home. I am so glad they left us a great pile of sand and its clean sand too. We didn’t get to go to the beach in Florida this vacation, so this lovely pile of sand will do for now. Judah loves playing in this sand. So, I joined him and then Gary followed suit. Judah wanted to build a sand castle so bad, but the sand was too dry to stick together and making a form was impossible. So, we added water to the sand, stirred, and begin to fill our buckets. After about 20 minutes of fun, we had crafted 8 sand “castles.”

During this process, I quickly realized that I had to create a smooth, solid base for the castle. If we dumped over our bucket formation before the base was ready, the castle form would not stand, but rather easily crumble. Multiple times I said, “Judah, remember, we have to build the base first. If we don’t, it will crumble apart.” After saying this a few times, I was reminded of the scripture in Matthew 7.

Matthew 7: 24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶ But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷ When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

How truly important it is to build our lives on a solid foundation. Scripture guarantees that in this world we will have trials and tests, but we can be of good cheer because He has overcome this world. How in the world can you be of good cheer when you are going through a trial and a test? Well, how is your foundation? Did you build it on the solid rock? Do you actually apply the Word of God in your life? If you did, you can be of good cheer, you can rest knowning that your house will NOT collapse under the pressures of “the rain, the wind, the flood, and any other storm device.”

More importantly, how solid is your foundation when someone or something questions your faith? When the storms of life knock at your front door, is your home built on a solid foundation?

To be honest, I have had a difficult few days. Although moving in to my dream home brings great joy, it also reminds me of the babies I will not bring into this home. The room built to be a nursery stands empty at this point. I have shed many tears the last few days and had to purposefully renew my mind with the Word and thank the Lord for all that He has done for me. If I didn’t apply the Word of God, if I didn’t have a solid foundation in Him, if I didn’t take a stand on the Rock, then I would crumble and I would stumble into a state that would leave me paralyzed, depressed, pitiful, and not much use for God. Then, the devil would have me right where he wants me….and I REFUSE to let him win.

The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes…

10,000 years and then Forevermore, I will bless the Lord.

My 28 Thanks:

1. My home is built on a solid foundation…physically and spiritually.

2. I will not crumble.

3. Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me…I will be singing His praises when the evening comes.

4. God has big plans for every room in my house…even the nursery.

5. I can renew my mind daily.

6. I am full of hope.

7. Judah makes me laugh.

8. Late night parties at the sand pile.

9. Judah and I were covered in sand. Gary managed to stay clean. He played in the sand with us, but squatted the ENTIRE time. He doesn’t like to get dirty when wearing clean clothes. He is so funny. I love his quirks!

10. My sweet friend, Bethany, who I miss daily, found out yesterday that they are expecting a baby girl.

11. I can talk things out.

12. I can share my heart with the Lord and HE always shows how much He cares for me and He always lets me know that I am not alone.

13. I can share my heart with Gary and he always shows how much he cares for me and he always lets me know that I am not alone.

14. My home is 95% unpacked.

15. I got a great picture from Hobbly Lobby and it was 80% off.

16. We can now pull my car into the garage. I have missed a garage parking big time for the last 10 months.

17. We planned out our entire week’s meals and went shopping.

18. My pantry is full of food. So blessed.

19. We ate dinner on the patio.

20. Scout, our golden retriever, is doing well in his new yard.

21. Playtime.

22. Judah loves to sit in my lap.

23. Judah runs to me when he is hurt.

24. I am reading a new book.

25. I am not alone.

26. Lots of people in my life celebrate birthdays in July. What a great month.

27. The devil is a liar, a loser, and a low-life!

28. Jesus is the truth, a winner, and Greater than anything else in this World!

Our vacation has begun. Thankful for rest.

My 28 Thanks:

1. Vacation.

2. Uninterrupted, fun time with my sweet little Judah. We have days of play awaiting us.

3. An escape from technology…at least the parts that I want to escape from.

4. I was able to finish all job related tasks and leave work today at 12:30.

5. After a 45 minute ordeal at the Post Office, I mailed 50 filtration straws to Rwanda, Africa. Our kids raised all the money for the straws. Super excited to get to play a part in giving Africa clean water.

6. Missionaries Gary and Shirley Bohanon will be so excited. Thankful for their work.

7. The lady who helped me at the Post Office, Martha was her name, was so sweet. She told me about her love of the piano and the organ.

8. Kind customer service.

9. Helpful people.

10. I got a HUGE discount on some brand new chairs for kidz ministry.

11. Brandon will be proud of me.

12. I didn’t have to beg, they just gave it to me. Thank God…I HATE working deals!

13. Creative Meeting finalized 10,000 reasons service on Sunday night. It will be awesome.

14. Dr. Shirley fixed my tooth today. My mouth is free of jagged cement. And, I may not have to replace my retainer after all.

15. I got a new haircut. April always knows how to make me look younger, fresher, and fun. She is amazing.

16. Gary got me lunch while I was getting my hair done. He is so sweet to me.

17. Ava and Lori both responded to a new family email today. It really helped me out since I will be gone on Sunday. They are so sweet and helpful. They are amazing leaders.

18. A new family is checking out Crossroads on Sunday and they are so excited to bring their kids!

19. Charlie shared his T-Rex Tries book with me. I laughed a lot. I have to get that book!

20. Laura made is safely through her surgery and I know the best is yet to come in her life.

21. Scout is back home with us. All night, Judah has referred to our dog as, “my brother, Scout.”

22. My brother and his family are enjoying a nice getaway in San Antonio.

23. My house is looking more and more like a home.

24. The Stimsons came over for dinner and decorating.

25. Holly looks at something and makes it beautiful. What I see as work, she sees as fun. I love watching her create beauty from a pile of stuff!

26. Spray paint can change the look of everything.

27. I have 8 days of plans with my two most favorite boys in the whole world.

28. Jesus loves me…this I know!

For some odd reason, I couldn’t connect to the internet in my home last night. Crazy, I know! Even more crazy is the fact that my blog is tied to it. But, I still thanked the Lord. Today has been a great day. It is Vacation Eve for me and my family today. I have felt as giddy as a girl on Christmas Eve. I am so excited about a restful break.

In my morning devotions, I re-read a passage out of 1 Samuel 10. I have meditated on this passage a lot lately. Samuel was about to present Saul to Israel as their new King and they couldn’t find Saul…Why? Where was he? Scripture tells us that he was hiding among the baggage. To insecure to accept the destiny God had for him, he ran and hid himself. More thoughts on this in the days ahead…

My 28 Thanks:

1. Divine Appointments.

2. Things that are worth the wait.

3. The woman at the well had a divine appointment with Jesus on a hot afternoon.

4. Powerful women in the Bible.

5. Morning Quiet Time.

6. Danielle Heart Attacked my office door. It was the first thing I experienced when I arrived at work. It made me smile all day.

7. Kind, Thoughtful, Insightful, Encouraging words.

8. Danielle and Rony shared their creativity with me.

9. Holly came to my house for 1 hour and made it look beautiful.

10. Cherryl Hodges is an amazing teenager who loves Jesus. She has been spending some time with us and we love her company.

11. Judah gave all of us check-ups today. Dr. Judah declared us all healthy.

12. Had an awesome lunch with Starla. She shared her story with me.

13. Everyone has a story to share.

14. JaQuisha really helped me out of a pinch today. She is always available to help out. Love her heart.

15. Brooklyn and Brittney helped me make 120 goodie bags today. They were awesome help and saved me about 2 hours of work.

16. Everytime my little friend Madison saw me today, she made me give her a hug and a kiss. She loves me.

17. I got to come home for lunch today.

18. I can almost park my car in the garage…almost.

19. Rock My World…it is a GREAT song and my kidmotion kids sing it with so much passion and energy everytime. They never get tired of it and I know it touches the heart of God.

20 Duck Dynasty helps relax my mind on a Wednesday night.

21. Deep, big bath tub.

22. My little friend, Peyton, wanted to stay the night with me tonight. The first time she stayed the night she was about 4…now she is turning 12 this year! Where does the time go?

23. Judah gets so excited when we have people over.

24. Judah now uses amazing hand gestures when he talks. His communication has become so expressive…he is like his momma!

25. Funny conversations in the car.

26. Rochelle made me laugh today. And, she made me blush. And, it was all through email.

27. I have an amazing team of friends and leaders who make vacation super easy to take. I know that my kids will not even know that Gary and I are gone because our team won’t miss a beat.

28. It’s Vacation Eve!!!!!

Tonight, I started reading the book Start, by Jon Acuff. It is a book that looks at two roads…the road of average and the road of awesome. I can already tell you that I want to travel on the road of awesome and I don’t want to waste a lot of years on the road of average. Unfortunately, average is the most popular because average is the most FAMILIAR!

Interesting enough, the older I get the more frustrated I think I become with familiar. I always choose the most familiar food on the menu item. I always choose the most familiar path on the map. I always choose the most familiar shopping stores. I always choose the most familiar people to hang out with…and the more I type tonight, the more I realize how boring I have become. And, that frustrates me! I am almost afraid to say this out loud because I might be held accountable to it, but I am hungry for change, adventure, out of the ordinary, unexpected, weird, out of the box, extraordinary, and not familiar… life. I don’t want to look back 10 years from now and realize that I could have had awesome, but I was so comfortable with average that I put it in cruise control and just coasted.

I have read the book The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson several times. When I taught high school English, I began the first day of the school year by reading chapter one of that book to each class. I challenged my kids to not be like the characters who made up the Land of Familiar, but rather be like the character Ordinary. You see, Ordinary dares to leave the Land of Familiar in order to search for a dream that he had been given by the Dream Giver.

Like Ordinary, we all have been given a dream by the Dream Giver and it is not a dream that keeps us on the path or average, but rather a dream that compels us to travel the path of Awesomeness. A dream that will lead us to a destiny of passion, purpose, and position to make a difference. I think it is time to…START.

My 28 Thanks:

1. I have a dream. (Thank you Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for that great line).

2. The Dream Giver gives everyone a dream.

3. Its an awesome, not average dream that He gives.

4. I don’t have to be ordinary. I can be extraordinary.

5. I read books.

6. I apply the knowledge that I read in books.

7. Jon Acuff’s whit.

8. Adventurous, out of the box, risk-taker people. I admire the risk they are willing to take to achieve awesome.

9. Freedom of Speech.

10. Read an awesome chapter in my Blessed Woman book. I have really enjoyed studying about the women in the Bible.

11. The life of Rebekkah.

12. People who take initiative.

13. I had a nice lunch with my friend, Laura.

14. Veggie spud and unsweet Tea at McAlisters.

15. Judah had a fun day.

16. Gary picked up our new table today.

17. Grant and Zach came over and helped Gary move a large piece of furniture.

18. Brandon and Leslie did my financial statement while I was away at kids camp…so helpful!

19. Men who speak honesty and encouragement to other men.

20. Gary received a text from a new friend last night and the words spoken really encouraged him and excited him.

21. Spent an hour on the back patio reading tonight.

22. Jetted tub.

23. I have an inside job. So thankful that I am not a brick layer, roofer, landscaper, construction worker, etc…I get to work in the A/C all day long.

24. Men and Women who do manual labor.

25. My brother and sister-in-law celebrate 7 years of marriage today.

26. On July 8, Mrs. Debbie was born. She is a great friend, an awesome kids leader, and has a most beautiful heart for the Lord. I am glad she is in my life.

27. Two new recruits to kidmin today!

28. The Lord is so good and so faithful and so loving and so true and so so so so the center of my life.