Where is Your Power Source?

Such a blessing to be able to share my love for Advocare and my story of the joys and disappointments of chasing my DREAMS. 

This past weekend some women and I hosted a Ladies Night Out using AdvoCare as our platform

We got to share about some of our amazing holiday products while encouraging & empowering  women

BOTH I LOVE

But let me share a bit more why I LOVE AdvoCare 

The world class products literally transform people's lives from the inside out

The business opportunity allows ordinary people to live an extraordinary lives

This company goes above and beyond to give their distributors the best leadership training

Not only on the products but how to be a leader with your family, friends and community

Leadership is one of the most fulfilling jobs but it can also be quite draining

People can be difficult 

Business may be slow

You lack direction in your business 

We may be quick to give up

So, what do we do in the world of AdvoCare?

We plug into our "source of power"

We have a chat with our leader and mentor

We listen to a team phone call

We attend an event

We get filled up with encouragement, inspiration and wisdom 

Then we head back on our way reenergized and continue to lead!  

These two are the best! Loved being able to speak into the hearts of women with them.
My best friend Molly, Rachelle from Advocare Corporate and myself 

But where do we go when we get drained in life?

Where do we go when we feel lost?

When our future seems so foggy we can take another step?

When anxiety and worry take over our hearts and minds?

Where, or Whom, do we plug into to give us our power?

These past two weeks, on top of the two major events I was planning and creating a new normal routine in my life, I also attended my hillsong ministry school, worked my AdvoCare business, worked all week at the Non-profit, got my crossfit workout in, and of course Facetimed with nephews! 

ALL I LOVE but when I am just going through the motions to get them checked off it is exhausting

And quite frankly, not how we are supposed to live

 I was exhausted, feeling no energy, feeling sorry for myself 

I had literally no energy, no power left

 I tried everything from a couple too many cups of Spark to thinking I could take a nap during the Seahawks game- MISTAKE!

This week I finally stopped and asked myself what was going on

Why do I feel so "off"?

Where do I usually find my strength?

 I find physical strength in sleep, eating healthy, exercise and SPARK!

That gives me my physical energy

But what about when I mentally can't go on?

I find my strength in Christ 

From prayer

Daily devotions

Prayer

Communicating daily with the Lord

Prayer

Encouraging others

Yup, I didnt do much of any of those things this past week

I opened my mind to receive information on leadership training

But didn't fill my mind with the Word 

I opened my heart to feel unnecessary emotion for a friend

But didn't ask God to fill it with His love 

I filled my mind with thoughts of fear and doubt

But didn't the Lord to take those away 

Think of trying to turn on your hair dryer without plugging it in

How would that work for you?

Not very good and probably pretty exhausting and frustrating

This was me this past week

Trying to gain energy from my own power source

I realized I only work well when I am plugged into The Mighty Power

Plugged into the Power Source who promises to protect and provide

The Power Source that speaks with wisdom and knowledge 

The Power Source that ignites purpose, hope and passion

He gives me energy

Plugging in for me includes finding time for morning and nightly prayers

Morning devotions

Staying in communication with the Lord

Asking Him to fill my heart with His Promises

Purposeful prayer

Intentional prayer

Reading His Word

Being filled with Him instead of looking for the worlds source of power

Where do you plug-in?

My prayer is you chose Him as your Power Source

I promise He will always give you the energy you need 

Molly had this event on her heart for a year and we started planning it this past summer.
It was  a dream come true and hopefully more to come!

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In The Waiting...Don't Wait

Let me take you back to when I was in preschool

I remember asking my mom if I could wear a dress to impress a boy I liked

I had a crush on a boy every single grade since then

(just ask my sister!)

When I was younger I would be the only girl invited to all boy parties

I was what people called “boy crazy”
But I did not care

So, at an early age I was familiar with the desire to "be in love" 

I did not know exactly what marriage was at that age, but I knew I wanted it

As I graduated high school and started college, it seemed only natural for me to meet my husband freshman year, get engaged senior year, married after graduation, move back to my home town, buy a house with a white picket fence, have 2.5 kids, a dog and start my carpool duties

So, that did not happen after college
And it didn’t happen at 23, 24, or 25 either

So, you can imagine my frustration when I was 26 years old, most my friends were married, in fact I was in most of the weddings, and I was still totally single

On the outside it looked like I had a good life
Living in the city of Seattle, great job, great friends and family
But inside was empty
I was not fulfilled at all

I was lacking purpose and passions in my life

I was just existing and not living to my full God given potential

Not even close

One evening, I knew I had to confront my life

So, I asked myself “what am I waiting for?”  

I realized that I had put all my dreams on hold while I was “waiting” to get married

I would tell myself I would wait until I was married to do this or do that

"I will wait until I am married to find a home church, move out of the state, or go on a mission trip"

Ethiopia- July 2014 with my mom and four other daughters and mothers 

One evening in October 2011, I drew a line in the sand
I decided to start taking action steps to pursue my dreams

I started getting involved with non-profits, which was a passion of mine

 I started investing in my health goals, which is how I started with AdvoCare

I said NO to the business right away , but when I got my first check of $150 which I used to go to Nashville to run in a half marathonfor St. Jude, which was a dream of mine, I saw AdvoCare as a vehicle to pursue more dreams

I said YES to start my own business with AdvoCare

Within, the first three months I saved up enough to go on a mission trip to Ethiopia, which was another dream of mine

Last spring I felt God calling me to move to Phoenix to pursue some dreams of mine

Because the income I was making with Advocare and my commitment to pursue my dreams, I stepped out in faith, left my job, my friends and all my family in Seattle and moved toPhoenix

My best friend Molly, who I would never have met if I didnt move or pursue AdvoCare
My sister Beth on the right, visiting me in Arizona at my HOME church

So, here I am today, working at a non-profit, which is a passion of mine
I  have a part time business helping others in health and wellness with AdvoCare
I have been to Africa
And moved away from home, and found an amazing home church
 All without being married

My life is not how I imagined it
Not even close
But guess what?
I  am more happy now than I was when I was "just waiting"

So, whatever you are waiting for, whether it is to get engaged or married, to buy a house, to fall in love, to start your own business, for an addiction to be broken, whatever it may be
 I want to encourage you that there is a whole life to still be lived while in the waiting

There are dreams to be fulfilled in the waiting

There are adventures to be had in the waiting

There is love to be found in the waiting

There are goals to accomplish in the waiting

There is growth and transformation in the waiting

There is joy and Grace in the waiting

Some of my best friends I met at City of Grace- My HOME church 

So, here I am at 30, and still not married, the desire still strong, yes, and if you would have told me when I was 18, that this would be my life at 30, I would have never believed you or would have punched you in the face for speaking that over my life (just kidding...maybe) 

But now, I have a completely different approach on my life while in the waiting

You will never see me on the sidelines of life

I will always be running full speed in the race that God has laid out just for me

Yes, I fail and stumble sometimes

I make mistakes and I offend people

But I am not waiting anymore to chase my dreams, pursue my passion, or take adventures

I know that some dreams are meant to be lived now and I know that when I get married we will create new dreams, new adventures, and new experiences together

I want to encourage you, while you are in the waiting...do not wait

Something amazing happens when you choose to have a decided heart and start pursuing those passions that stir up your soul and sets it on fire 

Doors start to open for you, people come in your life that bring purpose, opportunities come up you never imagined, and you will start to see that there is a beautiful and thrilling life that needs to be lived in the waiting

“Never allow waiting to become a habit. 

Live your dreams. Take risks. Life is happening now.”

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This Broken Heart is All You Want

Perfection- something we all strive for, right?

Or at least that is what our world tells us
The perfect hair, the perfect body weight, the perfect car, the perfect job
The perfect emotional reaction, the perfect speech, the perfect ministry
Oh and not to mention the perfect boyfriend and husband

What exactly is perfection anyway?

What defines a perfect body?

What defines the perfect life?

The Webster dictionary defines perfect as; having no mistakes or flaws, completely correct or accurate, having all the qualities you want in that kind of person, situation, etc

Mistakes? Yup, I have made 4767862178 (in just the past year) 

Flaws? Yup, I have a few many

Completely accurate and correct?- I know this is shocking, but I am wrong... alot 

Having all the qualities you want in a person, situation, etc-  Depends on who you ask about me :) 

How are we supposed achieve a life of no mistakes or flaws? We won't

And we will never live a flawless life because we were never designed for that in the first place

The thing is, we ALL fall short of His Glory

We all fall short of perfection

Yes, even that woman you think has it ALL together

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.”

Romans 3:23

It is one thing to hold ourselves to a high standard

It is another thing to hold ourselves to an impossible standard

We need to know the difference

I have been listening to my favorite song on repeat lately

"If You sought perfection
I'd die trying to reach it
But this broken heart is all you want"

A beautiful reminder that the Lord really just wants our hearts
Broken, flawed, and imperfect 
We were never designed to try and reach perfection

However, the enemy wants you to believe that perfection is the only way to live abundantly

But that is not the truth

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. 
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 
- John 10:10 

But whether we like it or not, living abundantly as a Christian does not always mean easy

An abundant life will also include pain and heartache

It includes feelings that are unstable and unpredictable

It includes moments of living in financial scarcity and abundance 

It includes dreams that will be fulfilled and some that won’t

But living an abundant life also means we live under God’s good Grace

We live free from guilt

Free from shame

Free from pressure

Free from expectation

Free from letting ourselves down

And are justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:24

So, how do we do that?

Well, we live in a fallen world and perfection will never be attained or fulfilled this side of heaven
But to start, we don't have to have all the answers all the time
Sometimes all we need to know is the next right step
And all we need to do is muster up the courage to do that ONE thing
The rest will reveal itself later

And while we are here on this broken, yet beautiful world, I have a challenge for us;

Let us be women who strive for progress, not perfection

Women who hold ourselves to the standard of Grace, not perfection

Women who chase our God given, beautiful dreams, not perfection

Women who accept that when we fail, we are simply human, we are not a failure

Women who let the Word define us, not the world

Women who speak out of love and not out of fear to be perfect

Women who build each other up and not tear down

Women who value each other and not disrespect

Let us be women who believe in the forgiveness of God

Let us be women who live boldly and courageously knowing we are covered in God’s Grace

Let us be women who live confidently that we are fearfully and wonderfully made by God’s own hand

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. - Psalm 139:13/14

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