Love...

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful ⁶ it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ⁸ Love never ends. (1 Cor. 13:4-8)

Today my husband married our lovely friends. I am so blessed to have such a wonderfully passionate man of God. 

Wishing love and peace always to Matt and Carrie. <3

Remember to love yourself too...

In order to give love, you must receive love.

Impatience imprisons our soul.  Choose Patience.

Choose kindness.

Love is patient.

I love You!

We love, because He first loved us (1 John 4:19)

Amen <3

Patience...

Love is patient!  What!?  Oh wow -- :) the first word spoken about love.  Sadly, I must admit that I often fall short with patience.  I hate sitting at stop lights,  sitting in traffic, waiting at DMV, and more recently waiting to have my home transformed into new.  Being displaced from all my comforts has proven to be a challenge and a blessing.  I've seen a side of my husband I already knew was there, but this has confirmed his ability to exude patience and the love he has towards me.  It creates a desire to want to respond the same way, and causes me to reflect deeper and apologize faster, when I throw a tantrum/fall short :(

When I think of patience - I also think about how we are often asked to wait for things that are to come.  Whether it is love, a relationship, a new car, a new job, etc.  More often than not we are asked to be still and listen, but we can't so we create noise with staying busy, working too much, going out,  never allowing the small voice of God to just speak. 

So I challenge you to take 5 to 10 minutes a day and just be still.  Focus on your breath alone.  Then focus on the blessings of just being alive.  Give thanks for all things! Find joy and peace in the unknowns.  There is a plan.  Be patient.  You don't have to prove yourself.  You're enough. 

Amen <3

Peace for me...

Thankful for each moment in my life.

Thankful that I am free.

Thankful my sins and burdens were laid at the cross.

Have a blessed day!

Learning love...

As I sit and think about love and what that means to me.  The question that comes to mind is "Have I been stubbornly resistant to really embracing it because I have been afraid of/to change?"  (recently had to answer this ?)

The answer is yes.

I believe all of us desire to be loved and accepted.  Except most of us don't really know what that means and more importantly how to react, respond, give, or receive love.  Society has told us it's about what you have and the titles to which you hold, how many letter are behind your name to be accepted and loved.  Parents may have taught us the measurement system, if you reach your goals or whatever measure they have laid upon you, then you've "succeeded" (thankfully, my parents were not this way).  What happens when you don't reach or hit those goals?  Or even worse, you do.  Yet still you are not "good enough?!"  What has happened to our society to make us feel like love or acceptance is so unattainable?  As I reflect more upon this, I realize if society, peer, and parental pressures were not enough - well, then we (ourselves) get involved. Whoa, aren't we our worst critics??

Going back to answering the question above:  Yes, I have been stubbornly resistant to truly embrace love because of my flawed thinking and misconceptions I've had about love.  In the past, I tried to seek love by doing more and being better and being good.  Trying to please everyone, but forgetting myself along the way.  Seeking acceptance by doing more.  Which then led to resentment and anger because I would fail... now at 37 realizing that much of my past thinking was flawed.  I would not say it was "wrong" because to say that would discredit the life experience I gained in my failures and adversity.  So, now I am choosing to let go of my stubborn patterns and choose to love with all of me.  Every part, the good and bad, the ugly and beautiful.  I will choose to remain open, honest, and authentic. 

Has your past been holding you back from your fullest potential to love and be loved??  If so, maybe it's time to examine the old and make room for the new... <3

Amen!

Reach for the sky...

Today, I am taking a moment to sit in silence and send my love to all those who need comfort and peace!

This photo reminds me that the sky is the limit - so reach for the stars.  Let the light guide you. 

Remembering the very precious gift of life and how each moment truly is a blessing.  May you choose to make each moment count!  Don't stay parked idle too long...

Amen! <3

Letting it go...

It's been a huge challenge to learn to lay down control and my past that burdened me.  Every time I have said yes to myself (flesh), I have taken away/cheated God from blessing me.

As I continue my 40 day fast of not consuming any liquor, I've noticed that I've been able to really connect with God and people on a level that may not have been possible with a substance on board.  There have been periods of my life where I was just consumed with "not feeling" or "avoiding."  At the time it felt so much easier than actually addressing the core problems of the heart.  It has caused more heartache and pain to numb than to just actually understand and heal from those past choices I made, or that were placed upon me of no choice of my own.  Literally, taking a sober assessment of my life.

Taken in Rome, Italy

What I do know is that I don't have to carry around the past pain and I can lay it at the cross.  I know that by believing and knowing He always has my best interest at heart, I can walk through the fear and overcome it with Him.  My faith has grown tremendously over the past year.  I've always believed but now I can see just how much I am loved and cared for by the Almighty.  It's not because I am weak, it's because I know without a doubt that I can do all things through Him.  If left up to me, I'd remain stuck, just as I had been for 35 years.  I made the conscious choice to choose to live by Faith.  I, Mindi, will stumble at times, but I know that I have a great Leader and team mates who will encourage me to get up again and lay all my burdens at the cross.  Giving the credit where its due, God.  I am not perfect.  Sadly, I mess up a lot.  However, I strive towards humility each day.  I am thankful to everyone who helps keep me focused on my path towards Love. 

Amen! <3

Learning to rise above...

"A beautiful flower begins it's life in the dirt. - Rise, baby, rise!" 6Elements Consulting & Coaching

  
A very good friend of mine got me thinking the other day about the above quote (check her out, she rocks!!!) ... it challenged me to think about the various trials and choices in my life that could have kept me "stuck" or "moving forward!"  It has not been easy to clean out the dirt in my life, but it has beyond worth it. 

I am choosing to look at each situation that I encounter in my life with humility.  Whoa, huge!  It's not easy to look at oneself and say, err oops - I think I've got a pride issue!?  Isn't it just so easy to shift the blame on the situation or a person? 

For far too long, I walked around with a "victim" attitude.  I felt I deserved to behave certain ways (poorly, might I add) because I had been hurt by various people and trials in my life.  It was as if I gave myself a free pass to misbehave.  Of course, now looking back I wish I had listened to the mentors placed in my life, and had taken a "square" path, it certainly would have caused less pain to overcome today.  Our choices today not only impact the now, but also the future.  It's been a humbling, painful, yet freeing lesson to learn.  I feel blessed to be able to walk with some incredible women that can be transparent about where they came from, where they are going, and the dirty moments that got them to rise above.  

Keep digging up the dirt because it can produce such great beauty when you allow the Healer to clean that mess up... <3  Whoot!

Amen!

Which fork at the road...???

Sometimes it's just hard to know.
Pray!
Let go. Let God!
Just be there.
Pray!
Choose light.
Pray!
Thankful for my Roo <3
Pray!
Breath.... Pray!

Embracing Light...

I LOVE YOU HUGE!  

That's what I say over and over to myself, to God, to others...

Life has its moments of sadness, unhappy, unfair, ugly, just down right awful times... but they are just that... MOMENTS!  I encourage you when you are in that unhappy "moment" - choose Love.  Choose to find the one thing to be thankful for.  When you are thankful, you can't be ungrateful. 

So challenge yourself to just choose an attitude of gratitude... the dark won't last long, if you choose to lean and embrace the light.  Ask what am I to learn from this seemingly dark moment?

I send you the love that is within me...
I hug you with all that I am...
We are not broken.  We are growing.  Choose growth.  Let there be light... <3

Find the rock/solid foundation that will hold you up.  It's exactly why I look up! (to Him)

Amen!

Thankful for love...

Some of my greatest teachers pictured below, not all by ANY stretch of the means, but I did want to take a time out to shout out to some of my favorite Loves.  Just to say Thank you!

Not all the choices I made were they fans of, but they loved me past my selfish ways.  Sometimes the path to learning to be selfless hurts those we love the most.  So for those who are not pictured here - You are STILL very much loved by me and you know who YOU are.  Thank you for loving me past my shortcoming and encouraging me to grow in a heart like His <3

Two of my favorite little love bugs! These two teach me the value of Love and patience.  It's my desire to be a better woman... I am trying you two. I am a work in process! You two have my heart always.  

I love you!

Thank you for encouraging me to grow to be a better stepmom all around.  It's been such a blessing to be part of your life... the best gift in the destruction of divorce.  I love you two!

 

Thank you to the Godly man of my life... Thank you for accepting me as I am.  I desire to be a better wife every single day, not because of you, but because of Him.  For always treating me a Queen!  Encouraging The Warrior Princess that I am... <3  Each day we will grow together and that excites me beyond words... I love you!

It is my prayer that you embrace the love that is around you... take a moment and pause and give thanks for the things you do have, instead of focusing on what you "think" you are missing!  I bet you are not and YOU are enough... <3

Amen!

Beauty from dirt...

Isaiah 61:3 states, “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (feelings of depression/despair) that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Learning to finally over-come past sexual abuse has been the hardest journey I have taken in my 37 years of life.  Even the experience didn't seem so difficult at the time.  Struggling with letting go of emotions such as shame, guilt, fear, and trust has been hard.  I used to think, "how can I trust a God, whom I felt was not there for me in the hardest of time? " Yet, looking back now, He is the one who protected me, held me, cherished me through evil acts of mankind.  The one who kept me prisoner to those feelings was the devil (the enemy of mankind/the deceiver).  He fed my mind with feelings of dirty and unworthy, not God.  (Genesis 50:20 - But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.)

The questions I ask myself now are:
What can I do with the experiences (painful/life-changing) I've gone through to show His Love & Grace? (Forgiveness)
How can my suffering be used to draw closer to Him and let people know about who God is? (Character)
How can I be used to let others know they are not victims but loved by an ever loving Creator? (Serving)
Show me how to share my story with others and find Light after dark...  (Being authentic and transparent)

Believing and absolutely knowing that His good has come out of my pain, confirms Hope of a new future.  A future of Love, Mercy, and Grace. 

I am not defined by my past, nor am I prisoner to the evil acts of others.  I refuse a future filled with anger, hate, mistrust, shame, or guilt.  I choose love, forgiveness, hope, and restoration. I don't blame God for the evil of man, because He gave mankind the choice of free-will.  I do choose forgiveness because it frees my heart and allows me to truly love myself and others.  Forgiveness does not mean I condone the behavior, but it means I don't have to bear the burden.  I am free because He died on the cross to save us (all) from sin, even those who may not deserve it. (Salvation) (Matthew 6:14-15)

Do any of us deserve it?  Not so much... but I believe forgiving someone when they least deserve it allows me to be free, not a victim, and no longer stuck as a prisoner of shame or guilt!  I don't have to blame, I just have to claim (Him!!) Grace in abudance. It has been offered to me, therefore, I must offer it to others.  I'll never be perfect, but I will find perfect peace in Him and within the Truth given me. 

So for those who have asked how did I just forgive?  I chose it.  I took an active step to understand the process of healing the past.  I let go and Let God.  I could not carry the burden any longer, nor was it ever mine to carry to begin with.   Is life perfect? NO!  However, I am taking the difficult steps to lay it at the cross.  Apologizing to those who got hurt along the way because I didn't deal with painful past.  I shall stand idle no more!  Following the "light"(er) path...

AMEN!

Embracing risk...

Why do we play it safe with Love?  I think it's because we want to avoid hurt and pain.  If it doesn't happen the way we envision it, we are left to feel disappointed and hurt.  Pouty with arms crossed saying, "No, I won't do this again!"

On the flip side, if we don't take a risk and just love --- isn't it possible we will stay stuck, or worse not grow?  Without pain, how can you experience Joy? 

There have been so many times that I could have justifiably said that is it, No More Love.  I could have put all my walls up (because I am good at that) and shut out Love as I know it today.  Until one day I finally got it... I thought that's it... I am just going to be open.  Take a risk. 

First, I had to know who I am and what I am about.  I had to know what my intentions were and be intentional.  I had to know what I would accept and what was a deal breaker.  Once I could speak this truth to myself, it allowed God to work in ways I never thought possible.  He brought me my imperfectly perfect (for me) Husband.  Who loves me, accepts me, challenges me, and grows me into the woman I am to become.  Is it easy? No way!  However, it's worth it.  The pain of the past has shown me Grace and Joy like I never knew possible.  I am forever grateful for this journey of Love. 

So embrace risk and just Love!  Don't stay stuck.  Be intentional.  

There is beauty and growth in the unknown!

My legacy of life...

The light at the end of the tunnel...

I do not pretend that I know much of anything, but I do profess that I want to learn as much as I can about Love, and how I can selflessly serve others.  It starts by choosing humility with those in my close circle and the people beyond them.  It is my desire for my legacy to be a "Woman who Loved with all of her heart."  <3  Deeply, authentically, passionately.

What do I do when I start to head down a path that may be dark or selfish?
I pray. I seek guidance from those I trust and love.  I uncomfortably get still, wait, and listen. 

Maya Angelou said it so well:
“While I know myself as a creation of God, I am also obligated to realize and remember that everyone else and everything else are also God's creation.” 

I am not special, but I am loved.  
I am nothing, unless I have Him and love.
We are all equal and deserve compassion, empathy, and love.  

In the journey of learning love, I am discovering what I stand for, what my foundation of life is built upon, and how I can serve others by lessons I've been taught, all the while healing within.  

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but you must be willing to walk the harder path and do the work. I will continue to do my work... I have decided to do it, and I will do it! My journey.  You can too.  Never give up.  Never give in.  Choose humility.  It most certainly helps me achieve love...

Amen!