Month: February 2019

Promise & Pain of Change – Part 1

Choosing Change

Life is an amazing change process. Each day, we have opportunities to change or stay the same. I choose to embrace each experience as an opportunity to learn, let go, and/or grow. That said, my most recent Magnificent Messmaker Workshop was a blessing. Not surprisingly, it was somewhat different than I anticipated. The experience rendered great promise that results from obedience to God and enduring through pain associated with change.

Stay tuned. I will share more about the workshop in my next blog article. Needless to say, I wanted it to go well and had to continually remind myself that things would be just fine as I kept God at the center and had appropriately, though not excessively, prepared. Prayerfully, I pursued success that would please God while encouraging and helping to empower and change lives, including my own.

When Life Happens – Yes
It wasn’t the first time I struggled with relinquishing control of what would occur and the prospective outcomes. Intentionally thinking, speaking, and envisioning what I desired helped. I conscientiously tamed my thoughts and tempered my words knowing they would influence my actions. Of course, “life happened,” especially as the workshop day drew near. I experienced some very difficult times but knew there was no turning back because I had committed my all to God and resolved to seeing it through. To God and myself, I gave my “Yes.”

Remembering Why – Amazing Grace
Fortunately, reminding myself of why I do what I do helped me to press forward. I am led by love that says and shows I want to help you and others to be okay with being you and doing those things you want to do even when things are messy. Trust me, life gets messy! When it does, Jesus is there for you to receive and embrace the gift of His grace to help you through.

Think It
No need to be bound by mistakes and messes or afraid to initiate action because of fearing messing up. Such fear can derail pursuit of your destiny, hence God’s plan and purpose for your life. Instead of anticipating undesirable experiences (thoughts of messing up, failing, or falling short), you can change your mindset. I’m reminded of the saying about whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right. Why not “think you can?”

It’s All Good
I hope you will consider changing your thinking to (for example) something along the lines of, “I am going to be successful;” “This is going to be a wonderful experience;” or “Things will turn out just fine.”

Crafting/writing out, refining, frequently reading, and reciting your vision for what you want helps with transforming your perspective, your mindset, and, ultimately, your life. Saying, believing, and seeing it helps with achieving it. I believe you’ll find in the bigger scheme of things, it is what it is, and it’s all good.

Courageous Action – Small Beginnings
You may not know exactly what to do, everything that needs to be done, or have all that you believe you need. However, you do know something, and you do have something. Commit and begin where you are with what you know and what you have. That courageous action leads to progress and success. You don’t have to start with leaps and bounds. Small beginnings and baby steps lead to great accomplishments.

Keep Trying
What do think about such an approach?
What are you willing to try?

Learning from mistakes and messes, while loving your magnificence and successes!

Triple Threat: Transparency. Transformation. Transition.

Faithfully, Sheryl

Garden of My Heart

Childlike Humility

This writing was inspired by something I read about beauty of life in an old children’s devotional, which I enjoy reading because it helps me to maintain childlike wonder and humility. The reading led me to think about my Vision Garden, the garden of my heart. I welcome you to read the other articles about my Vision Garden posted at my How dare SHEryl blog website.

My Vision Garden is the place where Jesus and I meet, and I am centered, replenished, restored, and become more like Him. It is not a place where life is perfect. Rather, it is warm and filled with God’s perfect love, peace, and freedom, which are priceless.

Strength to Stand

Reality is that, in life, storms will come, and fierce winds may blow. We might be propelled forward or thrown off course. No matter, God knows the way. He gave us Jesus, who is the way. He remains with us through the storms and brightens our paths. Through it all, we stand.

God’s Peace and Promises – In His Presence

After the storm passes, and it will, God wants us to remain with Him in the garden of His heart… at His throne of grace where are we find mercy and experience His unfathomable love and His peace that is far too great for us to comprehend. This peace (and Divine promises) are experienced only in God’s presence. We have the fullness of His grace, forgiveness, hope, and healing. We are strengthened in His might; we are sufficient in His sufficiency. The garden of each of our hearts is nurtured so that we can continue blossoming into all that He created us to be and to do all that He has created us to do. I encourage you to seek and spend time with Him… in His word, in prayer, and lingering in His presence.

Learning from mistakes and messes, while loving your magnificence and successes.

Triple Threat: Transparency. Transformation. Transition.

Faithfully, Sheryl