Double Portion Inspiration

Fear is defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous and will likely cause pain. For some, it’s an emotion they feel daily. Everyone feels fear and everyone gets anxious at some point. Unfortunately, our world today nurtures an atmosphere of fear. Whether it’s through social media or news outlets, we’re bombarded with fear and anxiety. Often the two emotions travel together. If you’re not careful, instead of the emotions coming and leaving quickly, they will linger and before you know it, you are dwelling in both the emotions. Over the past few years, I’ve learned how to overcome fear. Not manage it but OVERCOME it! Its been a process but if you follow these four steps, I promise that your fear will subside. 1. Read the Bible - it is full of scriptures that help combat fear. 2. Pray - share with God what you’re feeling. Be open and honest. 3. Be thankful and focus on the good in your life - what yo...

Our world is changing right before our eyes. We are now, more than ever, aware of the fragility of our world. The systems that we've put our security in are collapsing around us. Our grocery stores shelves are empty, malls are closed, sports are shut down, churches & synagogues are closed, schools are closed and our financial investments are plummeting in value. In all candidness, I have been discouraged . What about you? The sound of this virus has been SILENCE . Main avenues through downtown are empty. Broadway is empty, libraries and movie theaters are empty. The sound of silence and the unknown leaves us feeling more vulnerable than ever. I am learning like many of you, to keep my social media time to a minimum and watch the news only when necessary. I'm learning how to plug into the blessings that are all around me as our world goes through a GLOBAL PAUSE . We've asked for more time to get things done - now we have it. We've asked for more time with our...

LIFE as we know it has changed. Many of us are experiencing disruptions to our normal activity due to the coronavirus. We are all bracing for impact not knowing what to expect. One reality for many people is working remotely. I've worked from home for almost 2 decades. Although I travel often, when I am home I work from my home office. The ability to have a fast WIFI connection and a laptop ensures your capacity to work remotely, no matter where you are. Please realize, not every job has the flexibility to work remotely. I wanted to share a few tips to make this new reality work. Create A Space It is important for you to have a space within your home designated for you to work. It can be a dining room table or a desk in a guest bedroom. You won't have all the features of an office environment like a high quality color printer, water cooler or yummy expresso machine but you CAN make this work.  Dress for the Occassion Just because you are working from home ...

I am sure I am not the only one that feels this way at times. You can have a picture perfect moment with your family and then life turns upside down in a matter of minutes. It's totally valid and OK to feel that life just sucks at times.  Some people have started the year having a car accident, failing a test, received a rejection letter, ended up in ER with flu symptoms, received a horrible diagnosis, or grieving the loss of a loved one at a funeral. For some of us, many things have happened that are unpleasant. Just think - we are only in the 1st month of this new year. Life will ebb and flow, time will march on even when we aren't ready for it. After you get it out, all those raw emotions, shift your thoughts to remember how much you have . Even in life's toughest moments, we can always find a reason to be thankful. God hears our prayers in tough moments. He hears our prayers in good moments. He has NOT forgot about you. He also isn't offended by your honesty....

The Lord’s Prayer is nestled in Matthew 6. It’s a model prayer that Jesus shared with His disciples. Even though the disciples walked with Jesus on a daily basis, they asked Him how they should pray. His response was a prayer that’s remained throughout time. I learned the prayer as a child and now as an adult, I've taught it to my children. The prayer begins with praise and adoration to our Heavenly Father. Before we escape into a prayer full of our wants and our needs, we enter into prayer time with a spirit of thanksgiving! Verse 11 shares 7 simple words: “ Give us this day our daily bread .” It’s a gentle reminder that our thoughts should only focus on TODAY . Tomorrow will take care of itself. Our Saviour that we worshipped and praised in the beginning of the prayer, is the same God that can take care of our DAILY needs. There are times when the cares of this world, take our minds into dark places. Thinking about what “could” happen can lead u...

This time last year I was at a low place. I was facing a medical challenge. I'd sent my oldest son off to college and was slowly adjusting to our new family dynamics. I lost many close family members. Unexpected deaths happened that just didn't make sense to me. My mental health was at best scattered after the highs and lows of senior year, graduation and college send off. I was trying to catch my breath but I couldn't. The mental load of life in the beginning can be easy to hide from others. You spend enough time away from self care and you will soon find yourself running on EMPTY. I was overcommitted in my dueling personal and professional schedules. I knew I needed to slow down BUT I didn't know how . I wouldn't say I'm a super detailed person, but I do try and stay as organized as possible. How do you organize your life?  How do you know what priorities to focus on (personally & professionally)?  How do you manage your time? A dear friend g...

We often pray for physical healing either for ourselves or someone we know. We all know someone that stands in need of physical healing. Whether its cancer, mental illness, dementia, lupus or diabetes, the list of areas where individuals need healing is overwhelming. The list of physical illnesses seem endless. We pray on behalf of our sick loved ones because being ill is difficult and takes its toll on everyone around. Praying for physical healing is powerful and a necessity but what about praying for your soul ? Have you prayed for your soul lately? Have you asked someone to pray for your soul? If you’re physically sick, I’m sure you ask them to pray for your healing, so why aren’t we just as quick to ask them to pray for your UNHEALED SOUL ? Your soul is the part of you that encompasses your mind, will and emotions. The soul is typically an area we refuse to address. It’s that part of you that can lash out in bitterness, anger and rage almost on a dail...