It’s Not Over Till I Win

Out of some pretty tough circumstances, my daughter wrote and recorded a song entitled "It's Not Over Till I Win". The chorus of the song goes like this: "I'm not givin' up. I'm not givin' in. I've got to keep believing. It's not over till I win! I'm not givin' up! I'm not givin' in. I've gotta keep on pressing on. Cause it's not over till I win." It was also the theme of her ministry events. Challenges didn't stop her. She simply pulled herself up by the bootstraps and declared "It's not over till I win!" I was cleaning out my closet yesterday and I found the t-shirt we wore that embraced the message. It resonated with me because I was thinking about a strong young woman and her mom who I follow daily on FB; both of whom have been dealt some tough hands, but watching them navigate through the maze of daily obstacles, has been both an inspiration and the model for which I choose to live my life. I believe Morgan's "never quit" attitude is the "It's Not Over Till I Win" attitude.

Precious 25-year-old Morgan Watson had a relapse in June of leukemia that was almost debilitating from 2009 to 2015, but after 6 years of treatment and non-stop battling the disease, she was declared in remission in 2015. We can only imagine the heartbreak, disappointment and the potential discouragement that could have been hers, and her family. But from June to today, their journey has been quite to the contrary. Oh yes, there have been insurmountable challenges and setbacks, but I have watched Morgan and her mom, Salina Watson, be bright lights in the darkness. They have had so many reasons to throw in the towel and quit, but instead, they have celebrated life in such remarkable ways. They are the encouragers to us as they give positive quotes and messages to inspire us to be better, to think better, to live our lives better. This is an example of one of Salina’s posts:

“As I sat looking through my pictures this evening, I came across the one below. I took it last week while Morgan was still in the hospital, prior to her having a lumbar puncture, and having chemo administered into her spine. At first glance, you wouldn’t know that she had been given news of a relapse 2 weeks prior and that she would be having a procedure minutes later. Why? Because her attitude and facial expression were not a typical response that one would expect from someone on the same path. You see, the truth is, we do not always have a choice in our circumstances, but we do get to choose how we will respond to it. Inevitably, our response will determine our outcome. Our world can be falling apart, yet we can choose to take the high road and embrace it with a smile, knowing that we are better for it. Morgan understands this and sets a perfect example for each one of us on any given day. My hope is that by sharing this, you too will begin to see challenges a little differently, and find a way to embrace them with a 😊.”
Maybe, today, you feel like you have every reason in the world to quit. Don’t!! Just look around at those who have so much more reason than you do to quit -- but they don't. They soar, and people who soar, are those who refuse to sit back, sigh and wish things would change. They neither complain about their lot in life nor passively dream of some distant ship coming in. Rather, they just refuse to be quitters; they won't allow life's circumstances to push them down and hold them under. They push through and pull up. QUIT is just not in their vocabulary!

And what was that I heard people say about quitting? "I can't because ........" REALLY? I'd say we have every reason in the world to pursue our dreams, our goals, and our visions -- we have too many blessings, have been given way too much, and BEST OF ALL, we have a Heavenly Father, WHO with "All things are possible!" We can! So let's just DO IT! "It's Not Over Till You Win!"

Got Your Clothes On Yet?

Now that's a loaded question. The answer could be "yes", even if you've got your jammies on, your swimsuit on or a 3-piece suit on.

The fact is, we usually clothe ourselves according to the occasion.

A t-shirt and shorts may mean a comfortable afternoon at home. A silky chiffon dress might mean a special night out. An athletic shirt and tights might mean you're headed to the gym.

In Colossians 3:12, God’s people are encouraged to clothe themselves with five distinct attributes of Christ. Not for a special occasion, but for every day. So when we're asked "Got your clothes on yet?" -- these are the clothes that really matter regardless how we're stylin' or what "threads" we have on:

~ Clothes yourselves with compassion. Compassion is a way of living that reaches others with the hands and feet of Christ in very practical and loving ways.

~ Clothes yourselves with kindness. Kindness can be an encouraging word to a friend or a gesture that says, "I see you. You matter.” Kindness is a way of living that finds such great pleasure in making others feel cared about.

~ Clothes yourselves with humility. Humility is the epitome of selflessness. It's a way of living that looks to others first, because they genuinely care.

~ Clothes yourselves with gentleness. Gentleness is a way of living that expresses quiet, peaceful and calmness in our approach with others.

~ Clothes yourselves with patience. Patience a calm, peaceful endurance. It is a way of living that accepts God's timing as perfect timing, trusting Him Who holds all things in His hands.

As God’s dearly loved children, that before we put on our daily clothing attire, may we clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience . . . each and every day, then we'll answer that question, "I've got my best outfit on today!"