A Recurring Theme

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Have you ever thought someone was trying to tell you something? You know, those times when you seem to encounter the same theme over and over everywhere you turn?

That’s what’s been happening to me lately. I ignored it at first, but it’s clear God is trying to get my attention. And he must have known that it would take a two-by-four to the head to get it through my thick skull. 😉

Here’s the recurring theme:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

~Jeremiah 29:11 (New Living Translation)

I’ve run into this sentiment around every corner lately. It’s been prevalent on Twitter from all of you lovely folks I follow there. I’ve bumped into this verse in my new venture into Blessings Unlimited. In fact, it’s my Director’s email address. I’ve come across it in blog posts from many of you – whether it be those of you whose blogs I’ve read for months now or from brand new blogs I stumbled across. It just keeps cropping up everywhere I turn.

So what does it all mean?

So…what am I to take from that? Am I to assume that I’m not putting enough faith in God to know what’s best for me? Am I trying to control my life instead of turning its course over to God? Maybe. Probably.

I’m impatient. I want things to happen when I want things to happen. And it’s entirely possible that He’s trying to tell me to let it go. To give it to Him to handle. To trust in Him. To have faith. To follow Him fully.

The One Word

I keep reading all of your one-word posts for 2011 and thinking, “How could I ever come up with just one word to describe my goal, my intent for 2011? Evidently, it’s been staring me in the face this whole time.

Faith.

I thank all of you for sharing your one-word focus for this year, and now I need to start better defining mine. The one thing I know now is that my life and my course for the year is in God’s hands. I need to trust in him to steer me down the path he’s designed for me. I need to have faith that his plans for me are for good, that they will give me hope.

Now it’s your turn. What is your one-word for 2011? What will you focus on this year? Drop me a comment below, and let’s share our common grounds.

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Inspired Christmas Gifts – All for Less Than $12!

Enjoy! Ceramic Serving Platter from Blessings Unlimited®

Hi, all. I just found out that Blessings Unlimited^® is featuring several amazing Christmas specials – while supplies last – all for under $12! You could save between 50% and 81% on 15 products, including this Enjoy! ceramic serving platter pictured here on sale for only $9 – originally $35. Wow!

****Click on this link to view all the specials now.****

If you’re interested in ordering any of these amazing specials or learning more, drop me an email. (You do remember, I’m now a Blessings Unlimited consultant, right?)

Enjoy these Christmas specials carrying inspirational messages. After all, isn’t that the true meaning of Christmas? 😉

Want to see all the products in the Fall Catalog? http://www.blessingsdirect.com/catalog/BlessCatalog.htmlClick here.

Oh, and by the way, now’s the perfect time to find out how you too can become a Blessings Unlimited consultant. I’d love to have you part of my team. Talk about Common Grounds! 😉

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How Does Your Faith Connect to Your Happiness?

What makes you happy? Really happy?

If I asked you to describe pure happiness, what would it look like? Lots of money? No need to work? The perfect job? A home full of family? Six kids? An adoring spouse? An ocean-side home? Mountain living?

The possibilities are endless, aren’t they? But, where does your faith enter in? Or does it?

Today’s Faith JAM over at Faith Barista asks the question: How does faith connect to your happiness?

The Bible says, “Happy is the one who seeks and embraces true wisdom and understanding.” ~Proverbs 3:13

I couldn’t agree more. By nature, I’m a happy person. It takes a lot to bring me down, and I attribute that to my faith. I talked about this a bit in our first Faith JAM.

We recently had this organizational exercise where we had to narrow down our core values to five. Here are mine: Faith, hope, wisdom, happiness and humor. Notice that faith and hope are right up front, and that springs from my belief in God, as does wisdom. This is key for me. I believe that in all things we must be wise – even if that means being unpopular for our decisions. And through faith, hope and wisdom comes happiness. Happiness in my family, in my friends and in myself. Last, but certainly not least, is humor. I can cope with anything through humor.

Christian Courier author Wayne Jackson talks about faith and happiness like this:

In his book, Mere Christianity, British philosopher C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) observed that it is a futile exercise to seek happiness apart from God. Man has been “designed” to find his purpose, indeed his happiness, only in his Creator. In fact, Lewis insists, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing” (54). We were made to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7), and apart from that thrilling enterprise, there is no real contentment in human existence.

This is something I’ve been thinking about for awhile now. I’ve felt called to do more with my faith. To find better ways to incorporate it into my daily activities. This is exactly why I’m now sharing the Blessings Unlimited line. And I have to tell you, that the joy I feel when talking with people about faith-inspired products is amazing.

How does faith connect to happiness?

It’s intertwined. It’s integral to achieving true happiness. It enables us to walk through the rain, knowing God will help us emerge triumphant.

Now it’s your turn. How does faith connect to your happiness? Drop me a comment below, and let’s share our common grounds.

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Chasing Contentment & Blessings Unlimited

Be inspired. Be connected. Be blessed.

Do you ever wish you could change anything in your life? Do you ever think: If only I had this, I’d be happy. If only things were a different way, I’d be truly content.

If only.

I’ve been thinking – and praying – about that a lot lately, and wondering: How to change the things that aren’t working in my life, leave the things that are working alone and find a balance between the two? Sounds like a tall order, right? It probably is, but I’m excited about the path God’s leading me down to get there. 😉

For quite awhile now, I’ve been struggling with better incorporating faith into my daily life. It seems there’s little time during the week to truly devote to it. See if this sounds familiar:

• Up at 5 a.m. Get ready. Get the munchkin up, dressed, teeth brushed, quick snack (no time for a full breakfast).
• Rush him out the door to drop off at before-care by 6:15 a.m.
• Drive the 40 minutes to work, and run from meeting to meeting, write in between, grab a quick bite to eat (usually while still working).
• Head home fighting rush-hour traffic to arrive at after-care around 5 p.m.
• Home to help with homework for the next 20 minutes.
• Fix a quick snack, then start dinner.
• Hubby arrives home around 6 p.m., we eat and then bath, reading & bed by 9 p.m.

So….where’s faith fit in?

As Christians, we try to focus on the positives at work – even when faced with those struggles God puts in our paths to challenge us. Humor is huge for me, but I still struggle with feeling that I’m not really working to serve God’s will. Is this what he has planned for me? If I really listened to him, is this what he’d have me be doing with my time? My life?

I’m not sure. I just feel I’m being called to do more.

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” ~Jeremiah 29:11 (NAS)

Enter: Blessings Unlimited^®

Several of my favorite blogs feature ads on their sites, and I found myself continually drawn to all the DaySpring^® products. Too bad there isn’t something I can do with those, I thought. And then I saw it. Blessings Unlimited.

What’s this? I clicked on the link and was taken to their website, where I read more.

Blessings Unlimited^® offers a unique blend of business and ministry with exclusive home décor items and gifts created to encourage hearts, build relationships, and bring beauty to the place where you live. We provide a unique shopping experience and a business opportunity which provides the freedom and flexibility to spend time on what is most important to you.

Okay…now I’m intrigued. I totally need to check out the catalog. Wow! Love. It. Check out these products! They’re faith-based, inspirational and beautiful! I can just picture them sprinkled throughout my home. Can’t you?

That sense of welcome, of warmth, of faith to all who enter. It’s perfect. And, it was founded by DaySpring. No wonder I like the products! So, I emailed for more information.

And I met Julie. I’m convinced she’s a kindred spirit. Our conversation ping-ponged back and forth via email. She answered all my questions, encouraged me and made me smile. After much prayer about moving in this direction, I truly felt God was urging me to take that first step in faith. And I did.

Sign me up!

You are now looking at a new independent consultant for Blessings Unlimited. I’m so excited. I truly believe that God led me to this company, to these people, to these products, to this opportunity to share my faith through these beautiful, inspiring products.

So, my friends and family: Be prepared to be cajoled into attending one of my Announcement Gatherings within the next two weeks. Are ya ready? I am. And I can’t wait to find our Common Grounds, Blessings Unlimited and contentment through this exciting new endeavor.

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