Author: Kris Valdez

It feels like authenticity is the new buzz word these days. I’ve written about it multiple times this month on the blog. So I’m guilty of continuing the buzz.

I’ve worked to be authentic in my life. I have a tendency with those closest to me to put a little too much out there. The acronym, TMI (Too Much Information) could have been coined for me during some of these conversations. But I can feel my heart and soul craving an intimate connection with others which only happens for me when I’m truly living in the present moment and dropping the mask of perfect. I’m calling this being authentically humble. When the good, the bad, and the truly ugly of my life are shared with those around me, it eases the burden of life and allows someone else to come alongside me to lift me up. My hope and prayer is that you have people in your life who do the same thing.

This week I was able to connect in person with two of my closest friends while I was on a business trip. They live close to the city I visited and we made the effort to see each other after my conference was over. These women are amazing in the businesses they have built, while staying true to God’s calling in their lives. I am in awe of all they have accomplished. On the outside, the three of us seem to have it all together. However, we were able to be real and opened up about our current struggles – some challenges were health related, marriage, kids or knowing how to live full-out for God. They walked away with prayer requests from me and I am able to lift them up in prayer in this season of their lives.

I felt blessed beyond measure for this time with them. It was as if the brief time we broke bread together, we were wrapped in a cocoon of trust and love. This made me wonder if I have allowed this cocoon of trust and love with God. He is always available to me, but have I been truly authentically humble with God? Do I open up the good, the bad and the ugly to Him or do I show only the good in hopes that He doesn’t see the bad and the ugly?

During my conversation with one of my friends this week, I told her my life right now felt a little like the book of Job. The part where he’s struggling, not the part where Job is being redeemed for his faithfulness. Job is questioning God and asking when He will show up in his life to take away the hurt.

What does the book of Job have to do with being authentic? In Job 11:13-15 (CEV) it says, “Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer, and give up your sins—even those you do in secret. Then you won’t be ashamed; you will be confident and fearless.”

In my life, the times I’ve shrunk back from being authentic are because I’m fearful. I’m scared of what someone will think of me or what I say in disagreement with the group will be received. The beauty of this verse is we do not have to scared. We can be confident and fearless!

It’s as simple as surrendering my heart to God, being fully authentic and honest with Him in prayer about my sins, my faults and my failures. I say it’s a simple task, but being truly authentically humble before God is tough. Allowing someone to see the dark underbelly of our thoughts and actions is a scary prospect. Guess what? There are no surprises to God. What we’ve done or haven’t done, isn’t shocking to God. On the other side of authenticity with God is where true healing begins. The journey begins with surrendering to Him.

Are you authentically humble with God? Why or why not? Share it in the comments below so we can encourage your journey to being authentically humble in all your relationships.

Does a Photoshopped life keep us from our dreams? Last week I talked about how having a Photoshopped life keeps us from being authentic, but could it also be preventing us from becoming the people God wants us to be? I believe the answer is yes and let me show you how.

God knew we would be up against a powerful enemy, but He has already overcome the enemy of our dreams. In John 16:33 (NIV) it says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” God gave us our dreams for a reason and we can achieve them because he has already conquered the dream stealers in our path.

The things we want to do in life are given to us by God. He created us and the dreams we have. In Psalm 139:13, it says, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” God created each and everyone of us for a specific purpose. By staying in the Photoshopped picture perfect life, it doesn’t give us the freedom to grow. It also limits how we allow God to show up in our lives.

If we grab onto the idea of being perfect or creating the image of perfection, we lose our grasp on the amazing things God can do in our lives. I challenge us to let go of being perfect and allow us to be present in the moment. Let go of the expectations of others and live in the freedom offered by God.

We are enough. Let me say it again, we are enough! No matter the state of our heart, we can some before God just as we are. God did not walk this earth and expect us to be perfect like Him, He shows us our imperfection to see our need for Him. He wants us to use our imperfection to show His grace, love and forgiveness.

I challenge us to reject the picture perfect lifestyle which is so much work and effort for an empty return. The sweet ring of freedom is calling to us to be completely who we are created to be. There is nothing God asks of us except an acceptance of Him, since He has already accepted us.

Are you tired of living the life of what others want of you? Or not living at all? Or feeling trapped in the prison of our own design? Let go of what is weighing you down. Release it to God. Allow Him to carry your burden. He’s wants to take care of it for you.

Are there things you do to please others or create an image of having it all together? If so, what would it take to give those things back to God? Or back to the person who should be responsible for them? Share it in the comments below – even anonymously so we can support you through prayer to let go of what isn’t serving you so you can serve God.

There is a wonderful photo editing software out there called Photoshop. It allows us to create wonderfully creative photos, which sometimes have no basis in reality. The program can reveal things that never were or create an illusion of something new.

The models in magazines are all Photoshopped or the designers use some other program to make them look even more beautiful or thin than they already are. It seems in this world, we are about sanitizing our image and creating a reality that doesn’t exist. What would happen if we stopped Photoshopping our lives and started being authentic with each other?

I’ve struggled with this many times in my life. When I was younger, this didn’t seem like as big a problem. As my parents used to say about me, I marched to the beat of my own drummer and didn’t really care what other people thought about me. Then I succumb to peer pressure in college because my identity was being reformed in this new environment. The expectations of others in my sphere of influence soon began to take over, rather than listening to my own drummer.

I believe the drummer I was listening to growing up was God. There wasn’t a need to worry about what others thought because I had security in knowing I was in God’s will and no one was going to deter me from my path.

In the world today, the pressure has gotten ever greater to model the perfect image. Besides Photoshop, there are numerous apps which allow us to filter what the rest of the world sees. We can essentially create the illusion of the perfect life through a few tricks of photography and putting it out on Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, Twitter or some other social media platform to show others what a great life we have.

I want to look at the other side of the coin. We, or maybe it’s only me, are craving authenticity. I’m craving people who are real and stand up to say, I don’t have this all figured out and I might never figure this out. Most of the time I’m flying by the seat of my pants when it comes to my life. Yes, people looking at what I do on a daily basis to grow as a wife, parent, writer, coach, and a person wanting to break into the entrepreneurial world fulltime, may think I have it all together, with my goals and lists of daily to do’s, but nothing could be further from the truth.

I struggle to put healthy meals on the table when we are running kids to soccer practice, high school orientation meetings, night meetings for my job, or band concerts. I struggle with where to spend my time. Yes, I have professional goals, but am I ignoring my family in the process? Have my life choices, including my first marriage falling apart, mean I’ve permanently scarred my kids? All of them, not just my two older ones I share with my ex husband.

I tell my kids if their friends don’t like them for who they are at this moment in their lives, then they aren’t true friends. As an adult, I struggle with this also. It seems we have less and less authentic friendships, but the ones we do have are all the more precious because of the scarcity of people having time for one another.

Here’s the challenge I have, if you’re open to it. Find something or someone to let go of, even if it’s on a temporary basis. The Bible says, in Philippians 4:6 (NIV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Keep the people most precious close and release others to see if they come back. This isn’t the joke if they don’t return, we need to hunt them down. No, this is about keeping it real between us. We don’t need to worry about letting go of the perfect image or the burdens we carry if we do it prayerfully and conscientiously with God’s leading. He wants us to let of the things which don’t serve us and hinder us from living an authentic life.

How about you? Are you willing to take up the challenge? Share it in the comments below and what you need to release so we can support you.

If I could do anything, I would… How would you finish that sentence? Would you quit your job and follow your real passion? According to a survey by the American Institute of Stress, 60% of people working in America are so unhappy with their current jobs they would rather just choose a new career. I’m paraphrasing the source and I read it on the Internet, so take it with a grain of salt, but even if the number is half that, what are we doing to ourselves when we don’t follow our dreams, even if we have to moonlight for a few months or years while building the dream?

God did not create us to be timid. He rewards those who trust in Him and believe in His promises. I’ve used this Bible verse before, I even have it painted on a plate sitting on the mantle above my fireplace, it says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

God has an amazing and awesome plan for our lives. Whether we are eight or eighty, if we’re still breathing, He has a mission for us, if we choose to accept it. Don’t worry, Mission Impossible fans, this blog post will not self destruct in 10 seconds.

One of my favorite books in the Bible is Joshua. Moses’ time on earth was drawing to a close and Joshua was chosen to be the next leader of the Israelites. The book tells the story of one being anointed for leadership and overcoming the fear of leading a sometimes disobedient people.

If we rewind the story a bit to the book of Numbers, specifically chapters 13 and 14, we discover how Joshua was already starting his leadership adventure. Joshua was one of the twelve men chosen to explore the Promised Land. The twelve men, each representing a tribe of Israel, all found the Promised Land, a place flowing with milk and honey, but only two in the search party, Joshua and Caleb, said they could overtake the giants guarding the land because they had God on their side. When the people of Israel heard that Caleb and Joshua wanted to take the Promised Land, the people decided they should stone, in other words, kill Joshua and Caleb for believing in the promises of God. Then the Israelites wanted to return to Egypt because slavery to Pharaoh was better than the unknown of what lay ahead.

In hindsight of reading the stories of the Israelites, I’ve called the people wandering in the desert for 40 years crazy for thinking slavery was a better option than the Promised Land. But I’ve done this in my life. I hang onto things of the past because it is known, rather than go forward with the giants I’ll have to slay to get to my promise land. They might not be physical giants, but they are giants nonetheless. These giants take different forms and like any great foe, attack us where we are weakest. This is where we need strength and perseverance because we have a choice – will we listen to the giants or God?

Joshua and Caleb grabbed onto the vision from God. They decided to trust God along with His promises of abundant provision. How does this relate to the question that started this all, “If I could do anything, I would…”? When we finish the sentence, we need to ask ourselves what is holding us back from actually do that thing? Dare I say, it’s fear? Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of letting others down, fear of what other people will think, fear that we’re not on the path God has chosen for us, or fear of _______ (fill in the blank.)

Guess what? God knows we’re afraid. Fear is mentioned 103 times in the King James Version of the Bible. Instead of talking about it one or two times or even ten times, He brings it up throughout His Word to provide us assurances for the situations we are in today. In Joshua 1:9 (NIV), it says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” God is always there to encourage us and walk by our side when fear feels like it’s overtaking us.

In the comments below, answer the question, “If I could do anything I would…” Allow our community to support you and your dreams.

The title of this post makes me sound greedy, huh? This isn’t about how, as kids, we’d grab gifts from under the Christmas tree, tearing into them without waiting for mom or dad to have the camera ready or at our birthday inviting tons of kids so we could unwrap more gifts. Hopefully, I wasn’t the only to do that.

The title came from me wondering, what does it mean to use our gifts and talents for God? Does it matter if we use our talents for God? Some of us ask, do I even have talent? Or would I be like one of the contestants on God’s reality show of life getting laughed off stage because I think I have gifts in one area only to realize I stink at it?

Last Friday my daughter tried out for the talent show in her middle school. Gone are the days of everyone making it to the talent show. When I picked her up, she told me she nailed the tryout. We found out on Monday that she wasn’t selected to be part of program. My strong, brave girl was in tears and my heart was breaking for her.

However, the most shocking thing I heard in between her hiccups of tears was that she had put herself out there and it blew up in her face. I realized at that moment what my husband and I said to her may impact her willingness to try out different things in life or use her musical gift again.

I want my daughter living life full-out and with the potential God has gifted to her so I secretly put on my incognito coaching hat on and ask what made her think it blew up in her face. Her answer, “Because I didn’t get in the talent show.”

My coaching hat slipped off a little bit because I responded with “That’s it?” which only produced more tears. Not the best mom moment. Thankfully, my daughter extended me a little grace later in the evening when she stopped crying.

I believe God puts dreams in our hearts and gifts in our lives, not only to drive us closer to Him because there will be obstacles to achieving our dreams and we will need Him, but to drive others closer to Him through our talents. Those who can sing, while I’m not one of them unless I’m alone in the car, can show me a glimpse of heaven when those talented voices are raised up in a worship song. Then there are artists whose paintings or designs can stir my soul by seeing the way they put colors together. Or the words on a page bring tears to my eyes and joy to my heart because of the way they were crafted.

In each of these examples, we can see God at work if we’re looking. We are each given gifts and talents. According to the Bible, in James 1:7 (NIV), “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

We can interpret this verse to relate only to the blessings in our lives, but I’d challenge us to look at our talents as gifts too. Will we open the gift God has given us or leave it on the birthday party present table for another year?

This week, my daughter tried out a talent and it didn’t work out. This doesn’t mean this isn’t her gift, it might mean she needs to develop it more by get some mentoring or it could mean she’s more of a group artist. The beautiful thing is the night after the talent show took place, I saw my daughter on stage with the concert band banging away in the percussion section with a smile on her face using her musical talent in a different way.

How we use our gifts and talents does matter to God. He has entrusted us with a unique combination of abilities to point ourselves and others to Him. How are you grabbing your gifts for God? Share it in the comments below.

We will make mistakes. For me, it’s a tough thing to process. See, I’m a perfectionist. I’m a work in progress when it comes to not being perfect, but present. When I make a mistake, I can beat myself up over it for days, months and in some instances, years. As my husband likes to remind me when I get into one of these ruts, there was only one perfect person to walk on the earth and it isn’t me.

Where does this drive to be perfect some from? I believe it comes from the desire to be God. Yup, I said it. We are created in God’s image. In Genesis 1:27 (NIV) it says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Being created in God’s image is an amazing gift but it can also be a curse this side of heaven. The curse part comes when instead of humbling myself before Him, I want to be Him. See, if I can control my life, my circumstances, then I have no need for God. I don’t need to rely on anyone or anything to make my life go smoothly. I yearn to be perfect because maybe if I’m perfect from this point forward, I’ll make up for past mistakes.

I also use my perfectionist tendencies as a weapon against those around me. I hold myself to a high standard, which is usually unattainable to begin with, and those around me to an even higher standard. It’s not a pretty picture. I expect those around me to fit into my version of being perfect, rather than let them be who they are and the journey God is taking them on. In other words, I’m taking over God’s role not only in my life, but in the lives of others as well.

When I start thinking like this, my life begins imploding and I make huge mistakes. The kind of mistakes where I fall on my face in epic fashion. (FYI – I literally have fallen on my face multiple times in my life and have eight stitches under my eye to prove it.) So, what do we do with mistakes?

I’ve discovered, mistakes matter. God allows them to serve a purpose in our lives if we are open to the correction. I believe it’s for three reasons: drawing us closer to Him, showing us a need for a Savior, and putting us on the correct path.

1. Drawing us closer to Him. There is an old saying, there are no atheists in foxholes. While many of us will never know the fear of sitting in a foxhole during war, the mistakes in our lives can feel like we are at war with ourselves and others. Whether we are having a foxhole conversion in a time of crisis or slowly making our way back to God when we see the error of our ways, it’s still drawing us back to God, our Savior, which leads me to my next point.

2. Showing us a need for a Savior. See, if I continue in my perfectionist ways, then I have no need for anyone else, not even God. The awesome thing about God is He lets me go my own way, but he continues to call me back. He loves us so much He will not let us go. He forgives and forgets time after time. He loves us with a passion and refuses to let us go astray for too long, which leads me to my last point.

3. Putting us on the correct path. Our mistakes could be leading us to exactly where God wants us to go. I’ve seen over the years, while reviewing some major mistakes, I see God putting me on the correct path. The He has called me to and created uniquely for me. He has a unique path for you too. I have no idea what the future holds or what other amazing mistakes I’ll create for myself, but I know God will use those mistakes.

In Romans 8:28, (NLT) it says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” No matter how much we mess up, God can use it. Our biggest mistake, can be God’s greatest glory. Our biggest mistake, can become our ministry and provide an awesome testimony to God’s forgiveness and grace.

Here’s the beautiful thing, God knows everything. He knows the mistakes I’ve made and the ones I’m going to make, but He still loves me with an everlasting love. He loves you with this same type of love.

Have you ever seen your mistakes matter? Share them in the comments below to encourage others.

Being fulfilled has a comforting sound to it. Doesn’t it? I’m guessing if I polled you, my awesome readers, friends, family, and strangers on the street and asked them if they are fulfilled in their life, the responses wouldn’t be so positive. In this age of technology and information overload we seem overwhelmed, under appreciated and lacking patience with ourselves, other people and God. Not exactly the fruit of the Spirit described in Galatians.

The Bible says, in Galatians 5:22-23 (MSG), “But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.”

I love how the verse points out we can have exuberance for life and serenity if we live God’s way. But, what does it mean to live God’s way? Below are three ways I’ve come up with as examples:

1. Spend time with Him. In order to get to know a new friend, we spend time with them. We can’t claim to know God’s way for our life if we don’t spend quality time with Him on a daily basis. Think how many friendships have fallen apart or simply disappeared because there was a lack of time and effort to spend time together. We can’t be more than simple acquaintances if we don’t dig deep with conversations. This leads to my second point.

2. Talk and listen to Him. Isn’t is great when you have someone in your life who listens to you when you’re upset? Forgive the gross reference, but I call this in my life emotional vomiting. Some poor, unsuspecting friend asks me how I’m doing and instead of getting the typical, “I’m good, how are you?” they receive the projectile information about my life spewing from my mouth. Then, I get to listen. Most of my friends are coaches, counselors, or in some professional field where their whole mission is to help people. So, they help me and grant me a different perspective on my situation. God does the same thing. He will listen to all our hurts, worries and fears without judgement. Then if we sit quietly and wait on Him, He will give us a response which in some cases is completely different from what we thought should happen. This leads me to my third way to living closer to God’s way.

3. Do what you’re being called to do. We need to trust the path God has us on. If we are actively doing steps one and two, there is no reason to believe He will not reveal how we are supposed to be living for Him and what our next steps are in any given situation. He won’t show us the future and He won’t make us feel guilty of our past no matter how ugly it is, all He asks is for us to live in the present, with Him. Many times, this requires us to step out in faith. Even if what we hear during our listening time with God makes us scratch our heads and ask why, He has a better way. I use a saying in my life, that there is usually a method to my madness, meaning I have a reason for everything I do. With God, there is always a reason He is asking us to do something. We might not know the reason this side of eternity, but we need to trust Him and know there is a greater purpose. I want to make one thing clear though, God will never ask us to do something outside of His Word. God is not going to ask you to rob a bank and give the money to charity. Always check what you’re hearing against God’s written guidance.

Trust in the fact that God has a better plan for our lives. There is only one way to feel truly fulfilled in this life and it’s to turn everything, I mean everything over to God. We will only have our dreams and desires fulfilled when we trust God and be obedient to His teachings. This is not an easy task. Even the great spiritual leaders in the Bible couldn’t do this which is why we need God. When we are left with nothing and feel like we have nowhere to turn, God fulfills our lives to overflowing with His love.

What does your life look like when it’s fulfilled? Share it in the comments below so we can encourage you.

Life is short. We are told this most of our lives, but what does it really mean? In James 4:14 (NIV), we are told, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” This can either be a scary thought or a motivating one to live our lives fully present and not let fear consume us.

This week, a life in our family was cut short and another life is in the hospital for what appears to be an extended stay to heal all their injuries. This car accident not caused by them. A decision made by a teenager to speed allegedly led to the accident which sent my family into an emotional tailspin.

No one was expecting this to happen, but God knew it would. He is in control. He doesn’t want us to live our lives in fear of what might happen, but to live life fully. John 10:10 (NIV) says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

God wants us to grab Life. Grab it with both hands and hold on for the time we are given. You’ll notice I capitalized Life. See there I did it again. The life I’m, talking about grabbing hold of isn’t the one of material things or even your relationships. The Life I’m referring to is with Jesus. He is what we need to grab hold of so everything else in our life falls into place. John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This is the Life which will bring us hope and give us an eternal perspective. Yes, our lives are but a mist, here today and possibly gone tomorrow. The next minute, next hour, the next day are not promised.

With that in mind, will we live our life in fear of what could happen or are we going to pursue our dreams using the talents God has blessed each one of us with? I’m making the choice to use the talents God has given me. The events of this week have reminded me that life is limited and if we want to go after something, we need to ditch our excuses. I have a challenge for you, if you’re open to it.

In one column, write down all the fears and reason why you can’t pursue your dream. It could be lack of time or monetary resources or lack of support from those around you. Whatever it may be, write it down.

In the next column, write down why these ideas are untrue or ideas to prove them untrue. For example, if lack of time is on our list, create a calendar and track your time in 15 to 30 minute increments for a week. I’m guessing two or three hours of wasted time per day pop out. If it’s money, cite Bible verses where money is not important. God paves the road of heaven with gold. What some of us hold so dear on this earth, God uses as asphalt. The point is there is no excuse you can come up with that God cannot overcome. He wants us to succeed.

What are you doing to grab Life and never let go until the earthly ride stops? Share it in the comments below so we can support you!

Oh, how I want to ditch the doubt in my life. Creating doubt is one of the best weapons keeping us from our dreams and being present.

Doubt is what started the downfall of humankind. Don’t believe me? Let’s do a quick review of Genesis. Eve was tempted by the serpent, otherwise known as the devil, with the lie that God was holding out on her. If God truly loved her, He would allow her to eat from the Tree of Life. It was this doubt in God’s good and perfect love which caused Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. This seed of doubt caused sin to enter the world, which led God to serving an eviction notice to Adam and Eve for the Garden of Eden. This is my condensed version, if you want to read the full story, here is a link Adam and Eve’s Story

We cannot allow doubt to create the downfall of our dreams. This insidious thing called doubt creeps in during the middle of the night when I can’t sleep or roars in like thunder when things are rocking for my business and I’m completely focused on moving forward. It’s this thing called doubt which is the stealer of dreams and goals. It makes me question, do I have what it takes? Am I enough to pursue this dream? Am I being present enough with my life?

I saw the way doubt wiggled its way into my son’s life at his recent wrestling tournament. My son loves to wrestle. Mom on the other hand is a mess for the all day, Saturday tournaments. Not only does my heart-break when my son loses but it breaks for all the other kids as well. At this young age, there are still tears, lots of them, when they lose.

At his last tournament, my son’s first match was with the kiddo who won the whole tournament. It was a hard-fought match against a great opponent and my son almost won. However, this loss created doubt in his abilities and the tears that mom dreads so much.

The next match he won by default, but the third match was over before it began. I saw it in my son’s eyes. The match was against the same kiddo he lost to the weekend before. He made the assumption he would lose again. And he did. In record time. More tears ensued including some from mom. This wrestling thing isn’t for the faint of heart.

We had one more match. Due to how his weight class bracket was set up, the last match of the day was for third place. If my son won, he would get a medal. If he lost, he would go home empty-handed. I realized after his quick loss and the tears not stopping, he was struggling with doubt. His mindset wasn’t right. He was deciding he would lose before he even stepped on the mat.

Then I did something, I should have done at the beginning of the tournament. I prayed. Instead of my usual prayer for him to stay safe, have fun and for not too many tears be shed by either him or mom, I changed my prayer.

My son thought I was comforting him as I placed my hand on his knee, however, I was praying for the demon of doubt to be removed from him. I asked for a change in his mindset to one of victory, rather than defeat.

When I was done with my prayer, he was called for his next match. I whispered in his ear, “You can win because you already beat this kiddo last weekend.” He looked at me with doubt still in his eyes. I continued to pray while my son’s coach talked to him before he walked on the mat. Done with his pep talk, my son approached the center of the mat with a little more confidence and his shoulders back. The result of the match? My son pinned the other wrestler in 56 seconds.

How often have I allowed doubt to keep me from doing things? More often than I care to admit. All I need to do is call out to my Creator. In James 1:6 (ESV) is says, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”

When I doubt, I lack direction and lose my way. However, I don’t need to doubt. I only need to ask for the doubt to be removed. I’ve seen my prayers answered when I asked on the behalf of others.

Is there doubt in your life that needs to be removed? Has doubt kept you from God’s best for your life? Share it in the comments below so we can pray for you.

If feels like our country is in constant debate right now. I can’t open Facebook or any news website without people debating the merits of this position or that position. There seems to be little in the way of cooperation, understanding, or even listening to one another before the shouting to be heard begins.

What happens when this debate takes place with our inside voice? The discourse inside my head is probably more brutal than anything taking place on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. But is has nothing to do with politics or the state of our country. It has to do with pursuing my purpose and catching my dream. It has everything to do with living an authentic life and being true to who God created me to be.

Many of the hate filled words spewing from people’s mouths and keyboards these days comes from a place where there’s a lack of trust and communication along with a healthy dose of fear. We feel fear when we don’t understand a situation or don’t think we can communicate effectively with the other person who is so set in their ways. What do we do with this fear? And where does it come from? How do we combat it? Take heart my friends, there is hope! Read on to find out what we can do to combat this fear.

The fear of the unknown is the biggest battle in my life. The conversation in my head goes something like this,”You shouldn’t do that! What will people think? Where do you get off thinking you can achieve this dream? Don’t even try it. It’s not worth your time. Wouldn’t it be easier to go binge watch Netflix or scroll through Pinterest until we feel some sort of inspiration? Yes, I think that is the way to go. Just don’t even try.”

Some days I believe these lies and do the exact things I described above. However, in this moment, I’m forgetting the key to turning it all around. Psalm 121: 1-2 (NIV) says, “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” I personally like this verse because my eyes see the Colorado mountains everywhere I look since I have the privilege of living in the Eagle River Valley.

When the accusing voices in my head won’t get off my crazy train of thought, I need to kick them off at the next station and punch their ticket so it’s harder to get back on the train. It’s about protecting the dream God has created for me. Yes, I need to pursue it, but during the pursuit, I also need to protect it. This means keeping it front and center in my life. So, I created a vision board.

Actually, I made my entire family create their own vision board. There was a rare bad weather day this fall and our family was stuck inside. So, I organized a family dream board creation day. I grabbed a bunch of free magazines from a box in the library and collected them from friends. Then picked up giant pieces of poster board at the store for each member of our family.

While my five-year didn’t really understand what we were doing, he still had fun with his own scissors and glue. Everyone else also seemed to enjoy the experience. Once everyone had their board complete, I made them present their dreams and goals to the rest of the family.

Yes, I really did make them explain why they put the pictures they did on all their boards. The kids still have their boards hanging on their bedroom walls and my middle kiddo reminds me of my goals because I told them if they would leave me alone when I write, then I would take everyone to Disney World when I signed my next book contract.

The point of the presentation was to allow our little family to help each other protect their dreams. It’s the gentle reminder from my kids asking why I’m not writing or working on my blog. It’s me asking my kids how I can support them in pursuing their dreams as those goals morph and change as the school year progresses.

In addition to my family, I share my goals every other week with my business coach who keeps me on the track moving forward. Sharing your dream with someone you trust, can help you protect your dream and keep it alive. Please share your dreams and goals below so I can help you protect your dream and keep it moving forward.