It's Not Easy – But It Is Sure Worth It

I’m here in Austin where we had a sweet Father’s Day with my son and family. My son is a terrific father and I like to think that he is because of his dad who loved him so much and modeled a loving father and mentor to him. Father’s Day prompted the memories of so many joys my husband and I had in welcoming him, our firstborn, to this world.

We were married for just three months when my bold and daring, young husband announced that we should start our family. “We want to be young parents and grandparents” was his rationale. Indeed, we were just babies when we had our babies (we were 18 & 19 with the first, and 20 & 21 with the second). What a contrast we were to how “on purpose” couples are in planning their families these days: finish college; secure a well-paying job with great benefits; plenty of savings and security -- then they're ready to start their family. Not so with us -- two kids that were inexperienced in life, child-rearing, business, and finances. But, we had plenty of faith, self-confidence, determination, ambition, and most of all, profound love for each other. We were flying by the seat of our pants……and what a flight it was!

My first pregnancy was beyond uncomfortable. I was an office receptionist, working to support my “college-man” husband AND we had a baby on the way. Morning sickness that came with nausea and hanging out in the ladies’ room, was no excuse at my job. I’d greet visitors as they entered the building and then I'd make a mad dash for the ladies room. There were the preparations for our little one, moving from a small one bedroom apartment to leasing a little 2-bedroom home, dreaming, and THEN, the labor and delivery….CRAZY pain that seemed to last forever (really, only hours), that eventually became CRAZY sweet. That baby boy, who we only dreamed of having one day, rushed in and stole our hearts. We were completely in love with that little man. My husband was the proudest dad and assumed his new dad role in life with fervor. But it wasn’t easy.

Why am I sharing this little excerpt from our life story with you? Because it’s a story of puppy love that turned into real, authentic love that knew no bound, child-like faith, dreams, taking risks, and making lots of mistakes. It’s a story of God loving us so much, that He even made our mistakes to prosper. It’s a story of believing that what God starts in our hearts….He is faithful to help us complete it. It’s the same story of anyone who starts out with a dream – perhaps a CRAZY idea that is driven by passion and determination. And, along the way, in an effort for the “birth” of that idea -- whether it’s a business, a ministry, an invention, or heart’s desire -- there is tremendously hard work, pain, waiting, dreaming, and struggle….but there’s no turning back. You’ve given your ALL for this “baby”, and though the months of preparation, dreaming, getting ready for the launch or the birth -- seems like it’s taking FOREVER…..in due season, when it seems it’s not going to happen, the greatest PUSH of your lifetime is required, and then that “baby” you’ve dreamed of having, will make its debut and your dream becomes reality.

Today, I urge you to keep pressing in, forging on, stretching greater, and “Be not weary in well-doing, for, in due season, you will reap if you faint not.” (Galatians 6:9). This "baby" you’re carrying will get here. Be faithful to the dream and vision. Do your part as God does His. Soon, your baby will rush in and, all you’ve worked so hard for will be here. The "baby" may not look anything like you thought he would, but he will be just the way God created him to be JUST FOR YOU! When it does, all the pain, all the sleepless nights, all the worry and anxiety, will be something of the past. I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy! I am telling you it’s ALL going to be worth it.

Persevere AND Stand Firm

A Day to be Sad....Really?

You may know the heartache and feelings when one of your closest friends or family members just passed away.....yesterday. You wake up the day after, and it's up to you to handle the responsibilities of planning the funeral, the burial, notifying relatives, and handling so many details of figuring out what to do without them. You are expected to hold yourself together by treasuring the memories, while being courageous and brave when you just want to sit and cry bitter tears because this life will never be the same again. You look all around and it seems everyone around you is just fine. They're laughing, they're carefree, they're going on with their busy lives, and you think, "How could they be so happy when I'm hurting so much?"

Yesterday was Good Friday when Christ bore every sin we've ever committed. He carried every sickness we have had, and will ever have. He gave His life so that we would live forever and ever. That was His promise, but this day after -- the day-in-the-middle -- the day between Christ's crucifixion and His resurrection -- His disciples and His followers could only think...."It's all over for us! Life will never be the same again."
Those disciples walked with Him and talked with Him. They saw His good acts and the many miracles he performed (raising people from the dead, opening blind eyes and deaf ears, forgiving the worst of sinners and encouraging them to sin no more and love their neighbors AND enemies). Jesus was dead -- as dead as He could be. They had forgotten His "3-days promise". To them, it was all over. They succumbed to doubt, fear, and unbelief. Yes, it WAS their saddest day EVER.

But was it really the saddest day for them AND us? Those of us who understand that yesterday, His great sacrifice of His life bought us our "abundant life" on this earth and our eternal life with Him. The cross, the time in the tomb, and tomorrow's triumphant resurrection changed everything. When someone we love slips from this life, we think they are somehow diminished to ashes and dust. But this is only part of the story. The reality, the hope, the truth is that they are more fully alive and real than ever before. They are experiencing the results of the eternal life that resurrection gave us.

I pause for a moment and think about what my precious husband might be saying to us today. I think it would be something like, “Enjoy life to the fullest. But also remember your fullest life is yet to be!"

Your “in-the-middle” day may be where you’re at in your life. Maybe it feels like God has disappointed your expectations. When it seems all hope is gone because a loved one may have died, an illness may be bearing down hard on you, your marriage may seem hopeless, your financial situation may seem devastated…..but to those who know our Savior and who know the end of the story, your hopes, dreams, desires and prayers won’t be dead forever, because Jesus was raised to life on the 3rd day and He came to give us LIFE and life more abundantly (John 10:10). So hold on, my child, in the middle, it's time to get your hopes up because JOY COMES IN THE MORNING!

At the End of Your Rope -- Hold On!

Feel like you've failed at something one too many times.....and you're ready to throw in the towel? Feel like you've prayed too many times....and the answer just has not come? Feel like you're at the end of your rope.....and there's no where else, or no one else, to go to? And, you've even spoken the words, "I'm DONE!"

This is not the time for giving up -- it's time for holding on.
This is not the time for looking back -- it's time for being strong.

Some of the greatest GREATS failed, went bankrupt, made many mistakes, but never gave up -- today they are world renown because they never quit: Henry Ford, R. H. Macy, Soichiro Honda, Bill Gates, Colonel Sanders, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Oprah Winfrey, Lucille Ball, Vincent Van Gogh, Charles Schultz, Steven Spielberg, Monet, Elvis Presley, Ludwig van Beethoven, Michael Jordan. All these names are synonymous with accomplishments and achievements -- honored, respected and commended. Maybe we won't be in the world's archives of fame and notoriety, but we will be to those eyes that are in our sphere of influence, if we don't give up.

So today, I'm just reminding us all to dig our heels in, put a stake in the ground and say "I will NEVER give up!" Yes, it may seem like each day holds insurmountable challenges, but still, our Creator said He would never leave us or forsake us. I'd say that's quite the PARTNER, so let's take His SUPER abilities and meld them to our NATURAL abilities.....and let's go after it another time. His SUPERNATURAL is on its way! He will make a way where there seems to be no way. He will provide another rope if we're to the end of that one. He will SHOW UP if we don't BLOW UP!! He'll even catch us if that rope breaks and He'll set us on a new course with a new rope with an AMAZING comeback!