The Cost of Inspiration…

Believe it or not, there is a cost associated with being an inspiration to others.  I sent the following thought to my staff today:
 

"Let your life mean something. Become an inspiration to others so that they may try to do more and to become more than they are today."

~Thomas D. Willhite

 

When you inspire people, you influence them; this may be in their way of thinking or in their behavior and that is a great responsibility.  When you talk about being an inspiration to others, there comes a degree of transparency regarding areas where you may have failed or did not make the best decisions or where you may not have exhibited the best behavior.  Are you willing to share that kind of information?  Are you willing to open yourself up to possibly being rejected and scrutinized by others?  Count up the cost!
 
When we as Christians look for inspiration, ultimately we look to the Bible for scriptures on how to handle and resolve situations in life.  Sometimes being an inspiration means denying yourself the opportunity to be irresponsible and to make rash decisions because you know there are eyes on you.  Being an inspiration as a Christian is being a representation of Christ!  Are you representing Him well?! 

Matthew 5:16…“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Titus 2:7 (NLT)…“And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.”

Matthew 16:24-25…Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 

Count up the cost and be honest with yourself!  I have found that in being an inspiration to others, I have become a better person.

Encouragement Sharing

Today I was reading through some old e-mails and this was just a snippet of encouragement that was passed along to me, that I'd now like to pass on to you...

I remind myself that God's favor is on my life, and that when I am promoted, He is glorified.  I simultaneously remind myself that when I keep Him tucked away, He gets little or minimum exposure in my life.  The higher I rise, the louder I testify of His awesome power. 

I've come to finally understand that God has properly prepared me for everything that I will face, good or bad; and I cling to that.  Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." 

Be blessed and walk in God's peace my friends...

Thought For The Day...

"A valuable woman will always reinvent herself!"

- Shanel Cooper-Sykes

Walls That I’ve Built…

These walls that I’ve built must come down!  I have spent years building these walls and making sure to keep the intruders out, but now that my construction is almost complete, I looked around and realized that I have closed myself in.  “Hello…”  “Is anyone there on the other side, can you hear me?”  “I’m all alone in here and it’s starting to not feel so good…”  And all this time I thought I was protecting myself.  If I don’t allow you to get too close to me, then you can’t hurt me.  I’ve isolated myself so much so and haven’t communicated with anyone freely in so long until my social skills are inept.  I don’t mean to push you away; it’s just that I’m afraid.  I’m afraid of being let down and disappointed.  I’m afraid that you’ll try to take what I have.  I’m afraid that you’re trying to befriend me for all the wrong reasons.

Ugh!  I’ve got to find a way to tear down these walls that I’ve built because it’s getting dark in here and not much light can come in.  This can’t be how I was meant to live and all I want is to be loved for real.  “But Oh Lord – I’ve worked so hard to keep everyone else out, that I’ve managed to shut you out too!”

God, please give me the strength to tear down these walls the same way that I put them up – one brick at a time.

- SoSerene

Glimpse of My Future

Today I caught a glimpse of my future and you were not a part of it. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw myself.  I was actually smiling and it was for real! I was confident and positive; it was not pretend. Today I caught a glimpse of my future and I got so excited that I had to catch myself, because I wanted to leap right into it.

My future is bright!  My future is filled with joy and laughter!  My future is free from chaos, worry and defeat.  Today I caught a glimpse of my future and you were not a part of it.  You feelings of fear, regret, sadness, depression and uncertainty – there was not a single hint of your presence.  I had high self-esteem, I spoke with boldness, and I demanded respect. I was walking with my head held high and my shoulders back. I could actually hear myself saying, “I am Royalty and the Daughter of a King, I deserve the best and I refuse to settle for less.” And you know what – for once I actually believed what I was saying, I mean I wasn’t trying to convince myself. I could feel my heart beating, but it wasn’t due to anxiety and stress, it was a feeling that I could hardly explain, except it felt like sunshine on the inside; it was almost an uncontainable excitement.  You ever passed a field of sunflowers and without even knowing you were doing it – you were smiling?  Yeah – it was just like that.

Today I caught a glimpse of my future – haha and I almost didn’t even recognize myself; I had to turn around and look again.  Girl you look good and you wear the future well!

Today I caught a glimpse of my future, and I am so excited about reaching it, that I’ve stopped looking behind.

-SoSerene

The Right Thing Hurts

What do you do when the right thing hurts? 

There are times in life when you know you're doing right, yet in still the situation hurts so bad. When it's hard to leave, even harder to stay and hardest not to just quit...let me assure you that it is okay to cry; it is okay to say that it hurts; it is okay to have a moment. It's not okay, however, to stay in that funk. We are humans and God gave us emotions to express them; not to be controlled by them. 

We all have a cross to bear and based upon perceptions, you may feel that your cross is heavier than mine - but be careful to not ever minimize the trials of another. 

II Corinthians 12:9-10 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Life happens to us all, but we have to be careful and not allow the affairs of life to consume us. 

Be blessed...