The Problem with Jobs

  I want to share something with you today friends.  You were not meant to just work a job and die.  Your life should not controlled by or revolve around your J.O.B..  And here's what I mean...
  When God created Adam and Eve, they only had two tasks:  1.  Be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28)   2.  Tend the garden of Eden. (Genesis 2:15)  Now, I don't know about you, but I would imagine it doesn't take much effort to care for a garden that exists in a perfect world.  There's no weeding to be done, the dew waters the plants for you, so there's not a lot of tending required.  So what were Adam and Eve supposed to be doing with all their free time?  I'll give you a hint.. it wasn't going out and getting a 9-5.  No!  God called them to be fruitful and multiply.  They were meant to grow and increase in every area of their lives, spiritually, mentally, physically, intellectually, and to pursue the unique God given talents and abilities they had.  Just imagine what they could have become and all they could have accomplished with unlimited time in a completely perfect environment.  But here's the problem.  While they didn't see their potential, someone else did.  There was a snake in the garden who recognized how much his kingdom of darkness stood to lose if mankind were allowed to exist as God had truly intended them to be.
  So the snake contrived a plan, to trick Adam and Eve into giving up their perfect existence and thereby forcing them to toil in pain and suffering for the rest of their existence. (Genesis 3:1-7)  And once life became difficult and filled with work, they lost their passion and their energy, and their focus was taken away from thriving and put onto merely surviving.(Genesis 3:17)  Sound like anyone you know?
  I don't know about you, but when I spend all day at work, I come home tired and depleted, and I don't have the time or energy I need or want to do the things I want to do and feel called to do.  Our jobs are robbing us of our true purpose friends!  We were never meant to live this way.  So, you ask, how can we change it?  After all, we depend on our jobs to provide our income and fund our lives.
  First, find out what you are called to do.  What are you good at?  What makes your heart and spirit soar?  What causes you to get out of bed excited in the morning?  Once you know this, find ways to do it, and if you can make a living at it, you are doing better than most.
  Secondly, learn to get your money in order.  Learn to save and invest, so that you are no longer dependent on and chained to your weekly job income.  Once you can live free of the need for income from a regular 40+ hour a week job, you can start to focus your time and energy on what really matters to you.
  Lastly, I am not saying jobs are bad entirely.  There is a lot to be learned from having a job, and if you have a job, you should strive to be excellent at it and do your best to be reliable and earn your paycheck and more.  However, I believe that most of us have a higher calling than what we do on a weekly basis, and if we can start to live out that calling, we will see lives changed in a whole new way (our own lives included.)
  Get out there and pursue your purpose.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.

Peace in Chaos

  I have a compilation of thoughts for you tonight friends.  Albert Einstein said, "Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."  Profound statements if you consider them.  After all, it's easy to be at harmony when there is no discord, and it's easy to see opportunities when there is no difficulty.  But that is seldom the case in our lives.  Often our lives are a swirling ball of busyness and chaos which can send us spiraling down a path of confusion, anxiety, and frustration.
  I was struck with a thought on this the other day.  My son has oppositional defiant disorder as well as attention deficit disorder, and as a result, my house is never still.  There is noise and yelling and things flying all the time.  Finding a single sane, quiet moment is nearly impossible.  Mornings in particular are especially trying.  One morning last week, I had grown tired of the screaming and arguing, and I had gone in my room and shut the door to try to recollect myself.   I sat there listening to the three dogs squabbling, my son running around the house slamming toys off the floor and yelling at the top of his lungs, and I thought, "How can I find peace in the midst of this?"
  And then a still small voice came through to me.  True peace is only found in the storm.  I thought of the famous painting of a mother bird, sheltering her babies under her wings in the cleft of a rock while the storm rages all around them.  You see, Christ said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  (John 14:27)  The world wants to show us pictures of serene scenarios as our only examples of how to live in peace.  And while a quiet get away can have wonderful rejuvenating effects, we have to realize that true peace can be found in the midst of our mess if we look to the One who gives it.  Like the small birds in the storm, our circumstances do not determine our peace, rather, knowing who's wings we rest under does.  "He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge."  (Psalm 91:4a)
  Today, as you face the storms of life, do not let the outer chaos determine your inner peace.  Focus yourself on the One who is constant, and who holds the power to still the wind and waves.
I can't wait to see you succeed.

~K.W.

Distractions

  Recently it was recommended to me that I should try some deep breathing exercises.  Being that my life is very busy (hence the reason for needing the deep breathing), I decided to try it for one minute a day and to work my way up from there.  I am now up to two minutes a day... sometimes... when I remember.  But today, when I sat down to do my very Zen two minutes, something hit me, quite literally actually; it was the dog's tail, whapping me in the face.  My phone then started buzzing; I thought about five things I wanted to do before I headed out the door, and I immediately moved on to something else.  Life 500, Deep Breathing 0.
  The truth of the matter is, there are so many distractions in this life, things that pull us off course, and cause us to loose sight of where we should really be heading.  And mind you, they are usually very good distractions:  housework, charities, helping out a friend or neighbor, or any number of things, and none of these in and of themselves are inherently bad, in fact, that's why we are usually thrown off course.  After all, we shouldn't say "no" to doing something good, right?
  Here's the thing, though.  When Jesus was on earth, He knew his purpose was to live a sinless life and go to the cross for our sins.  He also knew that in order to do this, He needed to step away and spend focused time with God each day.  That's why, in the scripture, we see examples of Him slipping away through the crowd to go to the mountain or the garden to pray. (Matthew 14:23, Luke 6:12) There were plenty of people still needing healing, plenty of distractions and "good" things He could have done.  But He knew what was most important, and He took time to refocus Himself often.
  If you have been feeling a bit crazy lately, maybe overworked, overstressed, and overbooked, it's probably a good sign that you've gotten distracted.  It may be time to get alone, get quiet, and refocus on what you should be doing.  You can skip the deep breathing part... or maybe give it a shot, who knows, it just might help you.  Just don't get caught up trying to do all the good things.  There is always one more "good" thing which needs done.  But we need to choose what is most important.(Luke 10:41-42)  Take some time to reprioritize today.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.

You're in Charge

  I read something cool this morning, and it got me thinking.  I was reading Psalm 8 and I came across this verse.  "You made him [man] ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet"  (Psalm 8:6)  Another place in the Bible says it this way, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3a).  The thing that I find exciting here is that we have the power.  We have the opportunity to control our own lives and to steer ourselves in any direction we choose (paraphrased loosely from Dr. Suess, Oh The Places You'll Go).
  I once heard Joyce Meyer say, "Stop asking God to do things for you that He's already given you the power to do for yourself."  (That may not be 100% quoted because I can't remember which audio I heard it on.)  But the point is, that phrase has stuck with me for a long time, because really, that's just it.  We want to blame someone else, take the responsibility away from ourselves.  After all, if it's not our fault, then we don't feel bad about failing.  We keep asking God, our bosses, our spouses, whoever to make us healthier, wiser, wealthier, and more popular.  The truth is though, it is entirely in our control.  We have the choice every day, the choice to eat healthfully, or not, to exercise, or not, to make that phone call, mend that relationship, etc, etc...  The question is though, are you taking advantage of that opportunity, or are you giving up your power?
  Every result we get in our lives is a consequence of something we did, or failed to do. (For more on this, check out The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson.) Are you utilizing your power today? Or are you throwing it away, wishing for a change instead. You already have what you need. You simply have to decide to use it. Take that step; eat that vegetable; save that $5. I can’t wait to see you succeed!
~K.W.

Mindset

  Good Morning Friends!
  Someone told me yesterday that I need to start thinking about my day and my calendar and deciding what is most important with my time.  I need to take control of my own destiny a little bit, she advised me.  And I’ve been mulling that thought over for the last 24 hours. But while I 100% agree with her, her idea of prioritizing and mine couldn't be more opposite.  You see, she was talking about my job and putting more time into work.  But what she doesn't understand about me is that my life purpose is not my job.  So when I think about prioritizing my time, my job does not fall high on my list.  Is it important for me to make money to pay my bills?  Absolutely.  And is it important for me to do my absolute best while I'm at my job?  Extremely.  But, when given the opportunity to go to work or to chase my God given purpose, I will chase my purpose every time.
  I want to remind you this morning, friends, that God did not put you on this earth just to work a job.  I believe that every person has a higher calling. And if you are fulfilling your calling at your job, that is amazing.  I’m so happy for you; but if you aren’t, I want to encourage you to not get side tracked. It’s so easy to get sucked into the rat race of work, and housework, and life in general and forget that we are losing valuable time to accomplish what we were put here for.
  Life without purpose and direction is exhausting and discouraging. Have you been feeling that way? If so, maybe it’s time to look at your priorities. What are you doing this week to chase your dreams, goals, and purpose? Take some time today to realign your schedule to what matters most. I think you’ll find you are much happier and more fulfilled when you’re doing what you’re called to do.
  And one more thing, if your priorities don’t line up with what someone else thinks they should be, just remember that they aren’t living your life, and no one else has your exact same calling. Your picture doesn’t have to fit the mold. So get out there and do what matters today. I can’t wait to see you succeed!
~K.W.

Sheep

  Good morning, Friends! Today, I’m thinking about something that probably doesn’t cross your mind often: sheep. 

  I don't know a lot about sheep, but I think they are something like dogs in that, they know, love, and follow their shepherd. They enjoy being around the person who cares for them, and they feel safe and loved being with the shepherd. In present day America, we may not see a whole lot of shepherds traveling around with their sheep. We have fences and barns, and there is not as much need for a person to stand watch over the flock constantly. But several thousand years ago, the people of Israel certainly would have understood the need for shepherds, and they would have grasped the special relationship between the shepherd and his flock, because this was a way of life for many of them. 

  This morning I was reading Psalm 23, and I was struck by the first verse. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." I was amazed by the thought of the special relationship the shepherd has with his sheep, and what that means for us. I started thinking about the way my dog treats me when I come home each day.  She is so excited to see me, she runs to me and shows me all the toys she has been playing with, and wherever I am in the house she is continually by me or on my lap. She never leaves my side when I am home. She is always watching from the window when I’m gone, and when I return she runs to the door. There is a very special bond there, and I imagine this is something like what David had in mind when he talked about the Lord being our shepherd. We should be so excited to be in the presence of our God, and we should do all we can to spend time with Him.

  Additionally, my dog has this habit of bringing me everything. Even things she is not allowed to have.  Each new toy or item she finds has to be brought to me to be inspected. And although she does not like when I take things from her, she continues to bring me items anyway. She has no fear of showing me what she's up to. And I think this is something we miss with God.  We don't necessarily think to bring before God each new  situation in our lives. Sometimes we even avoid bringing God our "things"  because we know He might ask us to put them down because they aren't good for us. But, the Lord is our shepherd, our guardian, and He always has our best interest in mind. We should be excited to go to Him knowing that He will only do that which will benefit us. 

  I think if we get back to being a little bit more "doglike" or "sheeplike" in our relationship with God, we will be much better off for it. We need to love Him, follow Him, and trust Him as our shepherd. This week, take a close look at your attitude toward your relationship with God. Are you excited to be with Him?  Start directing your time and intentionally bringing Him your thoughts, ideas, feelings, and each aspect of your life so He can direct you in what is good for you.  Make it a great week friends. I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W.

Vicious Stereotypes

  It happened again today.  It's a scenario I've become familiar with over the last eight months.  It always starts innocently, a few people are gathered around talking about dogs, and someone will ask me what kind of dogs I have.  I begin listing them off, and I always wait to see people's reaction... husky shepherd mix, rat terrier mix, and a pit bull.  It's then that I often see the crinkling of the face, the frowning expression.  The conversation goes cold very quickly.  No matter how many times I've experienced this, I am always surprised.  The woman today wrinkled her nose and said, "You never hear anything good about pit bulls."  And the man next to her said, "So you must not have any kids then?"  I smiled sweetly and explained that I understand many people have fears of them, but that our pit bull is the sweetest, most well behaved dog we have ever had, and that yes, I do have a child, and my pit bull is better behaved than him also.  I then politely exited the conversation and went on my way.  But as I sat here tonight, I couldn't help but rehashing that conversation, and the many similar talks I have had since we brought home our sweet Zara 8 months ago.  I realize that there are people out there who have had bad experiences with dogs of different breeds, and they may have genuine fears based on their experiences, but I also believe that most people are probably just basing their opinions on what they have been told and stereotypes they have been taught, not any real experience.  Additionally just because one dog of a certain breed did something bad, does not mean that every dog from that breed will behave the same way.  But people will never know this if they continue to base their perceptions on stereotypes and rumors.
  The truth is though, that this conversation isn't just about dogs.  This conversation has a much deeper societal root that needs addressed.  How many of us, I wonder, have prejudices against people of another race, simply because of what we were taught or a stereotype we grew up with?  "I'm not racist."  You might say to yourself... ok, but how do you feel about people with a different religion?  Political affiliation?  Sexual orientation?  Am I touching a nerve yet?  My point is this:  People of different religions, colors, creeds, nationalities, etc are all just people.  And you can believe every stereotype and go around wrinkling your nose when someone mentions the "others" of society, or you can get to know them and see for yourself.  You can reach out your hand to someone of a different skin color, eat a meal with someone who doesn't worship like you, show love to someone who doesn't love like you.  It breaks my heart today that many people view Christians as one of the most unloving and prejudiced groups of people there are, and I think it's time we break that stereotype too.  Jesus didn't shy away from reaching out to those that the religious factions of his day had rejected, and if we want to truly follow in His footsteps, we shouldn't either.  It's time to start reaching outside our circles and creating a world where stereotypes stop having the last word.  I challenge you to take a hard look at your own perceptions and choose to grow and change.  Show a little love this week. We all could use a friend.  I can't wait to see you succeed!
And P.S.  If you ever want to meet a wonderful pit bull, I'd be happy to have you over.

~K.W.

Stages

  I used to think there were two different phases in life.  I believed you were either climbing up a mountain (conquering new goals, pushing through a struggle, growing and changing), or you were at the mountain top (celebrating your success, living the high life, loving every minute.)  I thought that life was a constant ebb and flow back and forth between these two.  But I've learned as I've moved through life that there is a third phase, and this is a phase I would like to call, the "flat land" or "middle ground" for lack of a better term.  This is a phase in life where things are not overly difficult.  You aren't fighting a battle or struggling each step of the way.  They also aren't "peak" experiences.  You aren't waking up each day filled with wonder and amazement at how good things are.  These are days when, you know you are in the right place, you know you are headed in the right direction, and you know you need to just keep moving.  Things in the flat land can seem rather monotonous, and it is here that we can be tempted to do one of two things:  complain because things are "boring"  or, get distracted with things we don't need to be doing.
  I would imagine this is the phase the Israelites were in as they crossed the desert to the Promise Land.  They had already climbed the mountain and fought the battle (slavery, escaping Egypt), but they had not yet reached the mountain top (the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey).  They knew they were where they needed to be, and all they really had to do was keep moving in the right direction.  But instead of just following God one step at a time, they got hung up.  They began to grumble and complain. (Exodus 16-17) They got distracted trying to create their own "mountain top" experiences (ie…inventing a festival to celebrate a golden cow).  (Exodus 32)  Ultimately their grumbling and distraction turned an 11 day journey into a 40 year obstacle which kept them from God's plan.
  Are you on "middle ground" today?  You may not have your dream house or your dream job yet.  You may not have reached your ultimate goal in life.  But sometimes all that is required of us is to stay the course and keep moving forward following God.  Do not allow yourself to be discouraged or distracted today.  Open your eyes to see the beauty in the process, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.  Keep moving towards where you are called to be. I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.

A Fight Worth Having

 Hi Friends,
  I want to talk to you about something I've been mulling over lately, and something that should be an on-going work in progress for each and every one of us.  Often times as I get to know people, and I begin to share some of my life story with them, things like the loss of my child, my being kicked out of the church, my husband moving out the day our child was born, my son's emotional and behavioral problems, etc, I get asked the question, "How are you still so happy?"  I usually jokingly reply that it's a mixture of Jesus and tequila (which is, for the most part, true.)  But there is one other very important component:  forgiveness and an unwillingness to allow bitterness to rule in my life.
  You see, for most of us, it is natural to want to hold onto the hurts that life or other people throw at us.  We ask "Why?" And we claim things aren't fair.  We want to wallow in self-pity and get others to rally around us and our side of the story.  But I learned a long time ago that this is a very self-destructive way to live.  Holding on to hurts and keeping them in our hearts day after day until they become a stubborn root of bitterness will only destroy us.
  The only way to truly be free is to forgive, whether that person deserves it or not, whether they ask for forgiveness or not.  You see, forgiveness is not based on a person's worthiness.  Forgiveness is based on our identity.  I am aware that I, as a person, have made mistakes, have hurt other people, and have done things which make me less than perfect.  I also believe that I have been saved by the Grace of a perfect God who loved me enough to forgive me, even though I didn't deserve it.  This knowledge is what empowers me to forgive others.  How can I, knowing that I have been forgiven, not extend that same forgiveness to others around me?  After all, it's not about how worthy I was to be forgiven.  It's about how gracious He was.  In the same way, it's not about how worthy the person who hurt me was but about how gracious I can be.  And it is this graciousness that has set me free to live in peace.
  Because I choose to love and forgive, I can smile in the face of those who have hurt me, and I can go on living my life, knowing that their negativity does not need to hold me down.  Because I choose to love and forgive, I can rebuild relationships and forge bonds which were previously broken.
  Is this an easy task?  No.  I can promise you that I have to wrestle on a regular basis with anger, disappointment, and bitterness.  But I have made the choice that I will not allow these emotions to rule my life or dictate my behavior.
   Forgiveness is worth fighting for.  Your emotional freedom is a priceless thing.  I encourage you today, if you are holding on to past hurts, against others, against God, against yourself, that you make the decision to let them go.  You may not feel forgiving and loving at that moment, but day by day, as you choose to extend love and grace, you will see yourself change.  You will see the bondage of anger and bitterness fall off your life, and you will live with a new kind of freedom.  We don't have to hold on to hurts and keep score.  We can live freely in the knowledge of who we are.  I am forgiven, therefore, I forgive.  Step into a new level of emotional freedom today.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.

Experience

Good Morning Friends,
 
  Lately I have been really wrestling with and trying to immerse myself in the concept of viewing everything in life as experience.  The good, the bad, the mundane, and the down right heart wrenchingly painful things are all experiences.  And if we can learn to engross ourselves in them fully, I think we can learn to live more and gain from these things more.  It is as Morrie stated in Tuesdays with Morrie, "By throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely."
  People who have had a brush with death view life differently.  They view each moment as a gift, each breath as an opportunity.  They appreciate what others take for granted.  They live with a sense of wonder at the world around them.  It is ironic that one must experience death in order to truly live.  If only we could somehow learn to live like this without the trauma of some near-death experience.  But it seems in this life that we don't understand beauty without pain.  It is as if the shadows help us understand light, and because of this, we can learn to embrace the darkness, the pain, and the near-death we face because it will help us to open our eyes and hearts to light, beauty, and life.
  I challenge and encourage you today.  If you are going through something painful, frustrating, or difficult, learn to embrace the season you're in.  Learn to walk through it, and the experience will make the good moments that much sweeter.  Dive in!  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.

104 Things

Hi Friends,
  A few years ago a person I look up to gave the challenge to make a list of 103 things I wanted to accomplish during my lifetime. I started working on my list, but I felt like I couldn't possibly come up with that many things to do, so I enlisted the help of a very ambitious companion, and we made the list.  Some ideas were mine:  Go to the Victoria Secret Show in London and Paris. Some ideas were his: Dinner in New York, Breakfast in Stockholm. And a few were ideas we thought of simultaneously:  Ride a boat down the Mississippi like Huck Finn.
  The great thing about having help with this list is that it pushed me to set goals that I never would have had faith enough in myself to try for. Also, this list gave me things to work towards. Some were big, once in a lifetime goals:  Work on a project with Jessica Alba (by the way, if anyone knows her, I'm still waiting to accomplish that). And some were small:  Successfully grow a plant (NO, I have not accomplished that either.)  But it wasn't the size of the goal that mattered.  It was the idea that life is meant to be lived and lived fully. We were never meant to live to work to pay bills and do it all over again the next day, year, month, forever. No, God made us for bigger and better, but for some reason we play it safe, take mundane jobs, and fall into the same routine until we go to our final destination. I, for one, am not ok with that.
  Since writing that list almost three years ago, I have checked off 8 things from the list, including one that I did today. And the funny thing is, that no matter how small or inconsequential the thing may have seemed on the list, getting to add it to my list of life experiences has been exciting and fulfilling in it's own way. Today, I paid $6 to ride a camel for approximately two minutes. Was this earth shattering?  Nope. But was it awesome to say, "I did it." You bet.
  Some of the other goals I have checked off include, Publish a Book (Drake the Dragon April 2019), Make good cookies (No, I do not have any proof, and this will probably never happen again, so you will have to take my word for it...December 2017), Enjoy our wedding and reception (October 2016), Start a successful blog (What K.W.'s Thinking...April 2018), Take Aden to Disney (January 2019), and Ride a Banana Boat (August 2017).
   But a crazy thing happened on the day I decided to finally ride a Banana Boat. My husband and I happened to be the only passengers that morning, and so our driver decided to have a lot of fun, whipping around turns and flying over waves, trying to throw us off.  When we got a good distance from shore he stopped the ski do and asked us, "Do you want to jump off and go for a swim?"  Being that I'm not a great swimmer and also don't like water that I can't see the bottom of, I quickly shook my head no.  But that whole ride back to shore, and ever since that day I have had that moment burned into my brain.  You know why? Because I let fear stop me from a life experience.
  When I got home that night, I added a 104th item to my list, and I made a promise to myself.  If I ever get the chance again, I will not say no.  104 is, Swim in the open ocean.   You see, it's time we stop letting fear of the unknown hold us back from our lives. It's time we dove in with both feet and embraced the moments we've been given. I challenge you today to step beyond the wall of ordinary and live a life full of experiences, big and little. We were never made to live in fear.  So grab an adventurous friend, make a list, and chart a course for a more abundant life. I'll be out there chasing dreams and catching waves with you.  I can't wait to see you succeed.

~K.W.