Being an Influencer

Okay....this is longer than my usual "long", but it describes major influencers in my life. When I come to Tulsa, I squeeze in as much as possible because there are so many precious friends and family here. Yesterday was no exception. First was attending mass at my home parish and sitting beside my Tulsa “family” who mean the world to me. My godson brought us all together when he was a very sick newborn. My husband and I fell in love with this family long before his birth, but it was his little precious and vulnerable life that cemented us all together. Isn’t it amazing how what seems to be the worst of times, brings out the best in people and the best of times? Owen is 13 now so it’s been 13 years of watching God perform miracle after miracle in his life. Since my husband passed away, Owen has taken his place beside me in church and he still holds my hand and wraps his arms around me with abandon. Be still my heart! I was thrilled to have lunch with them and seeing the two youngest in their costumes for Trunk or Treat that followed. This family has been amazing influencers in my life.

After church and before lunch, I made a couple of quick visits to see two amazing “older” women. My first visit was to see Margaret, the mother of my brother-in-law, She lives in a skilled nursing facility, If you need a pick-me-up, go see her. I walked in her room and she was beaming from ear-to-ear and excited to tell me “I’m 96 years old now! Just look at these paintings on my walls. I painted them all!” Margaret is a dear, optimistic, light-hearted friend that as long as I’ve known her, her outgoing, and warm personality made me feel loved. She influenced me.

Then I headed over to spend time with my mother-in-law. I took her dinner the night before and we caught up then, but yesterday I savored our time together once again. She's gone through a lot physically, but now that she lives with Karen, my husband’s sister, she's become stronger and filled with so much vitality. She boasted “I’ve gained five pounds!” And that says a lot! I can’t begin to tell you how much she has influenced my life -- the most of which are her prayers for us. I asked her “What are you going to do today?” She quickly responded, “I’ve got lots of calls to make!” She has a list of people she calls to encourage. She is sure not done yet. She’ll be 96 on Wednesday.

Lastly, I made my way to another dear friend and mentor. Oh, how I love this precious saint, Sister Marie Pierre. After 50+ years of ministry, she retired and lives in a small space at St. Joseph's Monastery but it is everything she hoped for in this season of her life. A few months ago she had a pretty bad fall and had to have hip surgery. I was shocked to see that she was waiting at the door with her walker for me when I arrived. She wasn’t setting any records, but she was up and moving. Another nun waited with her and she asked: “Are you a teacher?” I replied, “Yes, I am, but I’m also one of Sister Pierre’s children.” We made each other cry as we shared sweet memories, and about our future....getting to graduate to heaven. We talked about how our loved ones and the saints and Jesus are cheering us on to the finish line. I could tell she is longing for the day when she'll go home, but in the meantime, sitting at her feet, feeling God's presence and His peace all around her, is the place to be. God continues to use her to touch our lives. She has MANY children -- of course, not biologically, but she sure had a hand in raising many of us in the ways we should go.

Why do I go into so much detail about my life and share it on social media? One, it will be forever an archive to remind me of those people who passed my way. I’m quite sure they were all a part of God’s Master Plan for my life. Placing value on those people and acknowledging them as precious and valuable makes them matter in the grand scheme of God’s almighty handiwork. I love to give credit where credit is due. Each teacher, mentor, encourager, family member, friend, and even casual acquaintance are strategic in God’s wisdom to co-partner with Him. I am so grateful for those who helped “make” me.

The point is to embrace God’s plan AND people that come into our lives – there’s a reason for them all. I’m so thankful that mine has made me purposeful in my mission and determination to finish strong. Perhaps you’re thinking of your own life and those who have contributed to who you are today. Maybe phone them or pay them a visit to let them know how thankful you are for them. Why do I go into so much detail about my life and share it on social media? One, it will be archived to remind me of those people who partnered with God to fulfill His Master Plan in my life. Acknowledging them is giving credit where credit is due. Each teacher, mentor, encourager, family member, friend, and even casual acquaintance are strategically placed in our lives by God. I am so grateful for those who helped “make” me.

The point is to embrace God’s plan AND people that come into our lives. There is a reason for them all. I’m so thankful that mine has made me purposeful in my mission and determination to finish strong. Perhaps you’re thinking of your own life and those who have contributed to who you are today. Maybe phone them or pay them a visit to let them know how thankful you are for them.

You've Come a Long Way, Baby!

Have you thought about how far you’ve come in life? You’ve acquired abilities you never thought possible. You dreamed of driving a car and the day came when you earned your driver’s license and now you’ve been driving for years. You dreamed of one day getting married and having children. That day came and now you’re raising your children and, quite frankly, you’re doing a great job at it. You dreamed of the day when you’d have a job that paid you well for your hard work. You put that dreaming to work as you earned a college degree or you learned a skill or you gained on-the-job, hands-on experience that opened up even more doors for your next position.

Think back to where you started. Maybe it was that newspaper route that taught you the discipline of getting up early and the responsibility to be on time and throw it just in the right place on the driveway. Maybe it was that waitress job that taught you patience and diligence? Maybe those school sports gave you the start you needed to be the team player with sportsmanship and comradery that you have with your friends and fellow employees today.

Thomas Edison said "I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident, they came by work." He was known for an unfailing work ethic. He never shirked from mundane tasks because he always found there was something he could learn even while working in a telegraph office.

Think about Jesus Christ – the skills, the abilities, and the leadership qualities He had when He showed up on the scene at age 30. He must have acquired so many of His characteristics from the training He received from his dad and mom while working in the family carpentry business and from the tough times when his dad, Joseph, passed away and He had to step up and help earn income for He and His mother. Also, think about His childhood, youth, and manhood, when He studied the Scriptures. As a little child He was daily at His mother’s knee taught from the scrolls of the prophets. Here is what was said of Him: “And He grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and Man.” Luke 2:52.

Like Edison, if we keep working at that "thing", that invention, that creative idea or project – we’ll land right where God planned for us. Like our Lord Jesus Christ, if we keep diligently pursuing God and becoming who He destined us to be, we'll also hear those words “And he/she grew in wisdom, stature and favor with God and man.” I don't know about you, but I see my life's timeline and I see God's Master Plan that landed me right where I am here today. He's been with me all the way. I can assure you “I’ve come a long way, Baby!" How about you? We're still here so we're not done with choosing to continue to grow, learn and finish strong!”

Your Story for God's Glory

A dear friend shared her mouth-dropping "story" with me. Though I was riddled with awe to hear her story, I knew it was a story she needed to share. You see this gal is one of the godliest women I know and to see where God brought her from to where she is today, you would know the reasons why she loves God so much, serves Him so audaciously and lives her life with full-on gratitude. Though it wasn't easy for her to hear my words to her, that others need to hear her story so they can not only relate to her story, but can also see how sharing our stories can touch people with faith and determination. Today she boldly declares "What the enemy meant for evil, God turned it all for good." Genesis 50:19,20.

I was brought up in a family of strong faith, not abused or neglected. So what story could I share that would be an encouragement? I can share that, as a little girl, fear consumed me. My daddy was so ill from a brain tumor and had serious seizures that I would go home if my Mom wasn't there. But, my mom, to this day, was and is my mentor, though she has gone on to heaven. She was the strongest, resilient, unstoppable in her work ethics (to support all of us) and her faith. I still pull her into my life when I get frustrated about something, or someone, and I seek her gentle and quiet spirit to overcome the temptations to be anxious or contrary. The times of illness in our children, Staci with a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, but was declared healed a short time later. Today she has a 5-1/2 octave voice range. Ryan, born with club feet so severe that he was in a brace for months. Today he has run 46 full marathons (26.2 miles). "What the enemy meant for evil, God turned it for good." The years of financial woes brought so many times of worry and concern, but through them all, we found "God worked all things for our good, because we were called to His purposes." (Romans 8:28). I was dramatically healed from a diagnosis of osteo arthritis -- no pain today when I was told that I would forever have to only control it with pain meds. I never got that prescription, but was led to nutritional products that gave me what I needed. I'm still on those products today and am pain-free. The diagnosis of my Sweetheart with Stage 4 Kidney Cancer, the months of treatments, 6 surgeries, many doctor's appointments, endeavoring to control the intense pain and then his passing at such a young age, was probably the single-most challenge of faith. Yet we trusted implicitly in God's Word and even stood for his healing until the day he went home and received his ultimate healing. As I look back on my life, I realize I do have a story. It's one of God's faithfulness in our times of trouble. It is trusting in His promises, and not letting go. It is the peace that passes understanding for this widow. It is the mindset that "I'm still here, so I'm not done. I have assignments to continue, a race to finish, and victories to win."

Defeats - accomplishments; losing - winning; sorrows - joys; tragedies - triumphs; deaths - births; tears - laughter. Did you know that each and every thing and every emotion that you've experienced -- the good.and the bad, are a part of God's plan for your life? And did you know that the Master Plan includes YOUR STORY....and your story could be the game-changer for someone else who is going through similar circumstances? "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." 2 Corinthians 1:4

Lord, Please Help Me to be a Lifetime Adventurer

Life can be a great adventure, especially when it starts out with my furry friend, Buddy. Adventure is defined as an unusual, exciting, typically hazardous, experience or activity. What's so unusual and hazardous about walking a dog?
~ The Terrain -- there's cracks and unlevel walking paths, curbs, roads that have high traffic patterns and if raining, slippery paths
~ Creatures -- there are walkers, runners, bicycle riders, skate boarders, dogs of all shapes and sizes, and, potential critters
~ Physical -- our body parts can be over-used and over-extended
~ Sense of Direction -- can be led astray and even get lost

With all those possible hazards along the way, it would seem that it's better to be a spectator on a bus, where we're safe and secure. BORRRR-ing!! Right? Did God call us to be bus riders and stay-at-home, see after my 4-and-no-more kinds of people?

This thought came to me as Buddy and I took a new trail yesterday. It was beautiful and more secluded than where we usually walk. We walked by a creek, crossed bridges and soon we took a trail that ended right smack dab on The Trails at Frisco Golf Course. To go back where we came from meant same-o, same-o. To go forward meant potential walking distance way further than we planned. To go forward meant a new adventure. We went forward. As it turned out, we did walk about twice the distance we usually walk, but it was rewarding as golfers waved at us, were asked what kind of dog Buddy is, yelled FORE from time-to-time, and we enjoyed the course's beauty, along with those golfers. Once back on our usual trail, we saw a garage sale sign so, of course, we had to stop. There we met an older couple that seemed to need Buddy and I as visitors. Buddy reminded them of the collie they had years before. He gave them some sweet memories and I was able to share my faith and my trust in God's timing with them.

The Bible says that God instills in every believer a phenomenon called a "spiritual gift" which is a divine enablement so that we can share in the adventures of God's plan. It may be the gift of teaching, of giving, of mercy, of encouragement, etc. We are here to be adventurers that make a difference in others' lives.

I've made up my mind that I don't want to be a "tour bus" spectator. I know I've been called to be a participant as one of God's representatives. I don't want to be insulated from the excitement of life and the excitement of doing God's work. For all of us, our adventures begin when we get off the tour bus and go into action!

"Lord, I want to play a role in your grand adventures. Please use me. Use me to impact a teenager's life. Use me to ease someone's loneliness. Use me to help deepen someone's faith. Use me to encourage a broken and wounded person. Use me to feed someone's hunger. Use me to touch lives in Your name. Make me a life-time Adventurer for You!

What's Your Story?

I attended an event where one of the men at our table told how he knew he had been touched by God two years' ago, and though he is still waiting for a liver transplant, he's telling his story to young people of how he abused his body with alcohol and medications. No doubt, his story of a tough road back then and now, will cause those young people to seriously consider the roads they're on.

We were so blessed by his story, but then as we talked and looked around our table, we realized that each, and every one of us, has a STORY of our own of how God's grace kept us, delivered us, spared us, healed us and restored us.

We realized that's why we have a STORY -- why God allows us to go through "stuff" so that we can share His love and faithfulness to others. We really are on the same road.....coming from all directions, but each of us are here to grab the hand of someone and help them through because "we've been there, too".

God's plans are always to use us to build each other's faith and trust in Him. I know I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say "Because of you, I didn't give up." Are you sharing YOUR story with others? Maybe yours is the one that will comfort, bless and encourage someone today!