Psalm 119:71
My suffering was good for me,
for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.
If I had to put a date on when my "suffering" started, it would've been right around June 2008. I know for certain because my whole life was turned upside down leading up to my daughters birth in August of that year. The real estate market across the country was tanking, all the banks I did consistent business with were closing down daily and we were losing money on investments left and right. Sitting on bedrest at Cedar Sinai hopsital for weeks during all of this topsy turvy madness didn't help either!
I no longer had control over my life. I no longer had all the answers. I lost the things that I thought were most important in life - the money, the properties, successful business, etc. I was suffering.
In the eighteen months that have past since my suffering began, God has taught me so much about the true meaning of life. First, that I had never really had the control I thought I had. Second, I've gone from valuing money to valuing relationships with the people who have emerged as my true friends and supporters. Lastly, through writing, training and coaching, I'm building a business based on my God given passion - not just on what I had the potential to earn. I'm figuring out daily that WHO I WANT TO BECOME is just as important as WHAT I WANT TO ACCOMPLISH. Understanding the two will allow my character to sustain where God would have my talent and passion take me.
Look back over the last few years and think about the lessons that God may want you to pay attention to. Embrace this season of suffering and allow the goodness of the lessons to keep you focused on the blessings to come!
Seek Widsom, Find Wealth & Be Blessed!
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Training Children
Proverbs 22:6
Train a child in the way he should go
and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Lately I've had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my older brother. At first glance, most people can't believe that we are related, much less siblings who were raised in the same household. The general concensus growing up was that he was the bad seed and I was the sweet little angel. Neither label was ever 100% true. Inherently, I believe we're both good people who were raised with great values. We were taught to have manners, respect our elders and above all, love God. Along the way, though, we both lost our way at times. My brother's losses were more visible than mines and not nearly as easy to cover up. And through all my screw ups, I stayed in school and "did the right thing." Nevertheless, sin is sin and we each will answer for the things that we have done.
Luckily, however, neither my mom or grandmother will be responsible for our actions. They did their best during the time they had with us and because of their teachings, I find myself having conversations I would have considered to be highly unlikely with my brother. The mere ability to talk about God and how awesome he is and to hear my brother say that he's been praying for me, reminds me of what my mom and grandma were trying their best to instill in us all along. And whether they knew it or not then by our actions, I see it clearly coming to fruition now.
As a relatively young mother, I am reminded by this verse that its my responsibility to protect, teach and guide my daughter, Reagan, for the next seventeen years or so. Should she choose to make decisions contrary to what my husband and I would prefer, I will take comfort in knowing that as long as do my job now, she'll always come back to what she was taught at some point!
Seek Wisdom, Find Wealth & Be Blessed . . . .
Train a child in the way he should go
and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Lately I've had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my older brother. At first glance, most people can't believe that we are related, much less siblings who were raised in the same household. The general concensus growing up was that he was the bad seed and I was the sweet little angel. Neither label was ever 100% true. Inherently, I believe we're both good people who were raised with great values. We were taught to have manners, respect our elders and above all, love God. Along the way, though, we both lost our way at times. My brother's losses were more visible than mines and not nearly as easy to cover up. And through all my screw ups, I stayed in school and "did the right thing." Nevertheless, sin is sin and we each will answer for the things that we have done.
Luckily, however, neither my mom or grandmother will be responsible for our actions. They did their best during the time they had with us and because of their teachings, I find myself having conversations I would have considered to be highly unlikely with my brother. The mere ability to talk about God and how awesome he is and to hear my brother say that he's been praying for me, reminds me of what my mom and grandma were trying their best to instill in us all along. And whether they knew it or not then by our actions, I see it clearly coming to fruition now.
As a relatively young mother, I am reminded by this verse that its my responsibility to protect, teach and guide my daughter, Reagan, for the next seventeen years or so. Should she choose to make decisions contrary to what my husband and I would prefer, I will take comfort in knowing that as long as do my job now, she'll always come back to what she was taught at some point!
Seek Wisdom, Find Wealth & Be Blessed . . . .
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