READY8 “I've just sort of gone with the flow and I ended up here. Crazy. I'm not going to start planning anything, my life is way better than anybody could have planned it.” ~ Rachael Ray
AIM8 So I’m a day and a half late with my message because Mother Nature threw me a curve ball on Monday. My children had President’s Day off from school and so we decided to drive about two hours north to visit my mother who had surgery last week. We arrived just after lunch and it began snowing as we walked into the house. I kept watching the snow out of the window and fidgeting because it was getting heavier and wasn’t letting up. We didn’t anticipate snow when we decided to visit, nor did the weatherman tell me that I would need to be concerned about the driving conditions. Well, the snow didn’t stop for the next nine hours and my parents ended up getting around ten inches of snow! Needless to say, driving home was out of the question. Our normal two hour drive would not only be treacherous, but would certainly take double or triple the amount of time to arrive home. So the kids and I decided to be safe and stay the night; we would wait out the snow storm until morning. Thankfully, my children had a teacher in-service day scheduled for Tuesday so getting home for school wasn’t a pressing issue.
Once the decision to stay was official, we proceeded to take a deep breath, relax and make the most of our visit to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Our curve ball allowed us to embrace some quality time with our family. We enjoyed a home-cooked lasagna dinner together at the dinner table. We watched an action-packed movie together. We played a hilarious family game. We just enjoyed spending time in each other’s presence. Yes, we didn’t have our toothbrushes or pajamas; however, I am thankful to have resourceful parents who shared all their amenities, their clothes, their food and even their medicine for my kids.
When life doesn’t go as planned, what do you do? Do you embrace the moment and go with the flow or do you whine and complain about your change in plans? We may not always understand why things happen, but we can choose to make the most of a crazy situation. You will most often find that when you look back on those circumstances, if you go with the flow, you’ll recall those situations with a smile and not with regrets.
By the way, we made it home safely. We didn’t have any road condition issues on Tuesday and we all felt fully loved by our family.
FIRE!8 Embrace the moment! Whatever happens today, pause, take a deep breath and just let yourself go with the flow. You’ll be less stressed and perhaps, you may even have a positive experience to smile about!
Be Excellent!
Lori
February 23, 2011
February 15, 2011
You Better Work!
READY8 “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” ~ Mignon McLaughlin
AIM8 I have a confession to make. I am a hopeless romantic! I swoon over a good love story and just knew, without a doubt, that my fairy tale marriage was going to come true and I’d always have the happily-ever-after I always dreamed about. Shamelessly, this hopeless romantic got married on Valentine’s Day and can truthfully say that I am living in the middle of my happily-ever-after story right now and am looking forward to what the next page in my novel looks like. But my fairy tale story didn’t come without its evil villains and triumphs over troubles. I guess that’s why marriage is really a four letter word: W-O-R-K!
Wake up, friends! Yes, I said that marriage requires work! The studies on the divorce rate in America say that approximately 40% to 50% of all marriages end in divorce. This statistic means that out of every two marriages, one will not survive. Staggering reality isn’t it? Most of us have either been divorced, know someone who is divorced or have been affected by the divorce of friends or family. While divorce is a sad reality of life, God is a God of healing and restoration and only He can make a wrong situation right again. I am living proof of the God-given rewards for my faithfulness after a failed first marriage. Fortunately, I can honestly say, I learned a lot from that experience and am now reaping the benefits of a successful second marriage.
There is, however, HOPE for our hurting world!! Start today and make time to evaluate the current status of your relationship. Are you feeling loved? Do you praise and admire your loved one? Have you discussed your purpose or life-long dreams together? Is your relationship a safe place where you feel comforted and secure? If you answered no to any of those questions, it’s time for an intervention. Perhaps you and your spouse need to have a date night or a weekend away to reconnect and rediscover what made you fall in love with each other in the first place. If you feel you’re in a situation where things seem too far gone, throw away your selfish pride and ask for help. Getting a neutral party or professional involved can assist you both with weeding through the emotions and identifying the areas that need attention. You promised to have and to hold, for better and for worse, and you OWE it to yourselves to roll up your sleeves and W-O-R-K to make sure you give your marriage the priority it deserves. You are worth it. Your spouse is worth it. Besides, your happily-ever-after depends on it!
FIRE!8 Place random post-it notes in your spouse’s wallet or purse, in his car or on her make-up case that say “I love you.” Send a text or email in the middle of the day saying that you are thinking about him or her. Both of those simple challenges are guaranteed to start the sparks flying that will ignite your love flame again.
Be Excellent!
Lori
AIM8 I have a confession to make. I am a hopeless romantic! I swoon over a good love story and just knew, without a doubt, that my fairy tale marriage was going to come true and I’d always have the happily-ever-after I always dreamed about. Shamelessly, this hopeless romantic got married on Valentine’s Day and can truthfully say that I am living in the middle of my happily-ever-after story right now and am looking forward to what the next page in my novel looks like. But my fairy tale story didn’t come without its evil villains and triumphs over troubles. I guess that’s why marriage is really a four letter word: W-O-R-K!
Wake up, friends! Yes, I said that marriage requires work! The studies on the divorce rate in America say that approximately 40% to 50% of all marriages end in divorce. This statistic means that out of every two marriages, one will not survive. Staggering reality isn’t it? Most of us have either been divorced, know someone who is divorced or have been affected by the divorce of friends or family. While divorce is a sad reality of life, God is a God of healing and restoration and only He can make a wrong situation right again. I am living proof of the God-given rewards for my faithfulness after a failed first marriage. Fortunately, I can honestly say, I learned a lot from that experience and am now reaping the benefits of a successful second marriage.
There is, however, HOPE for our hurting world!! Start today and make time to evaluate the current status of your relationship. Are you feeling loved? Do you praise and admire your loved one? Have you discussed your purpose or life-long dreams together? Is your relationship a safe place where you feel comforted and secure? If you answered no to any of those questions, it’s time for an intervention. Perhaps you and your spouse need to have a date night or a weekend away to reconnect and rediscover what made you fall in love with each other in the first place. If you feel you’re in a situation where things seem too far gone, throw away your selfish pride and ask for help. Getting a neutral party or professional involved can assist you both with weeding through the emotions and identifying the areas that need attention. You promised to have and to hold, for better and for worse, and you OWE it to yourselves to roll up your sleeves and W-O-R-K to make sure you give your marriage the priority it deserves. You are worth it. Your spouse is worth it. Besides, your happily-ever-after depends on it!
FIRE!8 Place random post-it notes in your spouse’s wallet or purse, in his car or on her make-up case that say “I love you.” Send a text or email in the middle of the day saying that you are thinking about him or her. Both of those simple challenges are guaranteed to start the sparks flying that will ignite your love flame again.
Be Excellent!
Lori
February 9, 2011
Catch The Little Foxes
READY8 “Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!” ~ Song of Solomon 2:15 NLT
AIM8 Love is so blissful…when the planets are aligned and life is balanced and normal! However, in this day and age, what’s normal and when is life completely balanced? Our marriages are attacked daily by the “little foxes” that seek to steal the joy and energy from our relationships. Foxes actually ruin vineyards by sneaking in under the cover of darkness, digging holes to expose the roots, biting and gnawing on the branches and eating the ripe grapes from the vines. Stress, excessive work, busy schedules, children, family, friends and other obligations sneak into our lives and ruin our precious time together. If we want to have successful, loving and thriving marriages, we have to recognize the “little foxes” in our lives that are seeking to ruin our vineyards of love.
Take a few moments to think about how much time you and your spouse are actually spending together. Do you take time to be together every day? (Watching TV together doesn’t count!) Do you take time to talk about your day? Do you have an activity or a hobby you participate in together? Do you eat dinner together? Perhaps you’re like two ships passing in the night on the way from one child’s event to another or from one job to another. Regardless of your circumstances, I’m sure you can pinpoint at least ONE little fox that is stealing your energy and preventing you from having a marvelous marriage. Do not fret, friends, there is hope! Even if you realized that you have LOTS of little foxes invading your relationship, you too can take control of those pesky varmints!
Start today by choosing to simplify your commitments. Freeing up your personal appointment books will allow you to schedule time to spend with your spouse. Be sure to limit your child’s extra-curricular activities too. They are KIDS after all and have their whole lives to be busy. Let them enjoy a low-key lifestyle. This will free up more time to spend with your spouse. Punch out when it’s quitting time at work. Guess what? That same work will be on your desk for you to address tomorrow.
Are you starting to see a pattern building? Your spouse needs you and you need your spouse. Be desperate about wanting to connect with him. Be intentional about making time to be with her. God intended marriage to last forever and if you WANT to make it work and make it last, you’ll start today to kick the “foxes” out of your vineyard. ‘Til death do you part? May your words and actions be the missions of your heart, dear lovers.
FIRE!8 Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to demonstrate your love to your spouse. Plan a date night this weekend and then get serious about ridding your marriage of the foxes. Even if you only concentrate on one fox now, you will reap the rewards of the additional time spent with your forever love. (And oh, the benefits that will follow!!)
Be Excellent!
Lori
AIM8 Love is so blissful…when the planets are aligned and life is balanced and normal! However, in this day and age, what’s normal and when is life completely balanced? Our marriages are attacked daily by the “little foxes” that seek to steal the joy and energy from our relationships. Foxes actually ruin vineyards by sneaking in under the cover of darkness, digging holes to expose the roots, biting and gnawing on the branches and eating the ripe grapes from the vines. Stress, excessive work, busy schedules, children, family, friends and other obligations sneak into our lives and ruin our precious time together. If we want to have successful, loving and thriving marriages, we have to recognize the “little foxes” in our lives that are seeking to ruin our vineyards of love.
Take a few moments to think about how much time you and your spouse are actually spending together. Do you take time to be together every day? (Watching TV together doesn’t count!) Do you take time to talk about your day? Do you have an activity or a hobby you participate in together? Do you eat dinner together? Perhaps you’re like two ships passing in the night on the way from one child’s event to another or from one job to another. Regardless of your circumstances, I’m sure you can pinpoint at least ONE little fox that is stealing your energy and preventing you from having a marvelous marriage. Do not fret, friends, there is hope! Even if you realized that you have LOTS of little foxes invading your relationship, you too can take control of those pesky varmints!
Start today by choosing to simplify your commitments. Freeing up your personal appointment books will allow you to schedule time to spend with your spouse. Be sure to limit your child’s extra-curricular activities too. They are KIDS after all and have their whole lives to be busy. Let them enjoy a low-key lifestyle. This will free up more time to spend with your spouse. Punch out when it’s quitting time at work. Guess what? That same work will be on your desk for you to address tomorrow.
Are you starting to see a pattern building? Your spouse needs you and you need your spouse. Be desperate about wanting to connect with him. Be intentional about making time to be with her. God intended marriage to last forever and if you WANT to make it work and make it last, you’ll start today to kick the “foxes” out of your vineyard. ‘Til death do you part? May your words and actions be the missions of your heart, dear lovers.
FIRE!8 Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to demonstrate your love to your spouse. Plan a date night this weekend and then get serious about ridding your marriage of the foxes. Even if you only concentrate on one fox now, you will reap the rewards of the additional time spent with your forever love. (And oh, the benefits that will follow!!)
Be Excellent!
Lori
February 1, 2011
The Most Important Gift
READY8 “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” ~ Oprah Winfrey
AIM8 Birthdays are the perfect opportunity to gather with family and friends, play games, eat cake and have fun. When you are planning a special celebration, do you get stressed out about all the details, decorations and desserts? Are you worried that your party won’t be as lavish as the neighbor’s or that the treat bags won’t be filled with the right treats? Did you invite all the right friends and spend the most money? Stop right there! Where is the focus of your party? The birthday boy or girl? Let me encourage you to take time to evaluate what is truly important for your child’s birthday celebration. Spending boatloads of cash on an expensive location, piles of gifts and the best cake in town doesn’t always equal an amazing birthday. Simplify your efforts. Rejoice with your child about her accomplishments this past year! Celebrate the unique likes and dislikes about the person your child is becoming! After all the bows, bags and balloons are tossed away, what remains is really the most important gift of all: The gift of your love. Make sure that above all else, this year you give your children the gift of your love before you worry about giving them anything else. It is truly the gift that keeps on giving their whole life long.
FIRE!8 Make yourself a promise to simplify your celebrations this year. Enjoy spending quality time together and having fun, not worrying about the little details. Be sure everyone leaves your presence feeling loved and you will have given him or her the best present.
Be Excellent!
Lori
AIM8 Birthdays are the perfect opportunity to gather with family and friends, play games, eat cake and have fun. When you are planning a special celebration, do you get stressed out about all the details, decorations and desserts? Are you worried that your party won’t be as lavish as the neighbor’s or that the treat bags won’t be filled with the right treats? Did you invite all the right friends and spend the most money? Stop right there! Where is the focus of your party? The birthday boy or girl? Let me encourage you to take time to evaluate what is truly important for your child’s birthday celebration. Spending boatloads of cash on an expensive location, piles of gifts and the best cake in town doesn’t always equal an amazing birthday. Simplify your efforts. Rejoice with your child about her accomplishments this past year! Celebrate the unique likes and dislikes about the person your child is becoming! After all the bows, bags and balloons are tossed away, what remains is really the most important gift of all: The gift of your love. Make sure that above all else, this year you give your children the gift of your love before you worry about giving them anything else. It is truly the gift that keeps on giving their whole life long.
FIRE!8 Make yourself a promise to simplify your celebrations this year. Enjoy spending quality time together and having fun, not worrying about the little details. Be sure everyone leaves your presence feeling loved and you will have given him or her the best present.
Be Excellent!
Lori
January 25, 2011
Simplify
READY8 “If the devil can’t make us bad, he’ll make us busy!” ~ Sheri Rose Shepherd
AIM8 Simplify. Lately there’s been a quiet voice reminding me that I need to simplify my life. I couldn’t agree more, so I’m trying to listen and make the appropriate changes in my life to get my priorities back in balance. Have you ever felt like you’ve got too much going on or that your life is out of balance? The only way to get a handle on it is to simplify.
Truly, our society does not know how to be still. We are constantly in motion; running from one obligation to the next. Are you saying yes to too many requests for your time? If you have children, are your kids overscheduled with extra-curricular activities? We are doing ourselves and our families an injustice if we are over committing. Do we spend more time with our commitments than we do with our families? Your children have their whole lives to be busy adults. Let them enjoy some freedom to be kids, to have time to play and rest. Don’t sign them up for too many activities. Teach them to take unstructured time for themselves. I understand there will be exceptions to every situation. However, where you can be in control, do your due diligence to be aware of the stress and strain you are placing on your family members. And don’t worry about the neighbors or the other kids at school and what those families have scheduled for their kids. If they want to be crazy busy, that’s their choice. You don’t have to live with their chaos and the consequences of exhaustion and frustration. All that leads to is anxiety, illness and dissention in the home.
Stop. Listen. Quit beating yourself up over the things you didn’t get accomplished today. Tomorrow is a fresh new start with twenty-four more hours. Learn to pay attention to your body’s warning signals. Clear your mind from all the outside noise. Listen to your spirit. You need to have time to be still, to rest and to be available to do the greater things you are called to do in life. Begin today and simplify with me.
FIRE!8 Take a look at your calendar. Do you have too many things scheduled during the weekdays and the weekend? Make a pact with me to eliminate at least ONE activity or commitment from your life and begin simplifying. It may take a little extra courage to say no, but you will feel refreshed and free. Trust me.
Be Excellent!
Lori
AIM8 Simplify. Lately there’s been a quiet voice reminding me that I need to simplify my life. I couldn’t agree more, so I’m trying to listen and make the appropriate changes in my life to get my priorities back in balance. Have you ever felt like you’ve got too much going on or that your life is out of balance? The only way to get a handle on it is to simplify.
Truly, our society does not know how to be still. We are constantly in motion; running from one obligation to the next. Are you saying yes to too many requests for your time? If you have children, are your kids overscheduled with extra-curricular activities? We are doing ourselves and our families an injustice if we are over committing. Do we spend more time with our commitments than we do with our families? Your children have their whole lives to be busy adults. Let them enjoy some freedom to be kids, to have time to play and rest. Don’t sign them up for too many activities. Teach them to take unstructured time for themselves. I understand there will be exceptions to every situation. However, where you can be in control, do your due diligence to be aware of the stress and strain you are placing on your family members. And don’t worry about the neighbors or the other kids at school and what those families have scheduled for their kids. If they want to be crazy busy, that’s their choice. You don’t have to live with their chaos and the consequences of exhaustion and frustration. All that leads to is anxiety, illness and dissention in the home.
Stop. Listen. Quit beating yourself up over the things you didn’t get accomplished today. Tomorrow is a fresh new start with twenty-four more hours. Learn to pay attention to your body’s warning signals. Clear your mind from all the outside noise. Listen to your spirit. You need to have time to be still, to rest and to be available to do the greater things you are called to do in life. Begin today and simplify with me.
FIRE!8 Take a look at your calendar. Do you have too many things scheduled during the weekdays and the weekend? Make a pact with me to eliminate at least ONE activity or commitment from your life and begin simplifying. It may take a little extra courage to say no, but you will feel refreshed and free. Trust me.
Be Excellent!
Lori
January 18, 2011
Amazing Women
READY8 “The supply of good women far exceeds that of the men who deserve them.” ~Robert Graves
AIM8 Last week we evaluated who we were spending most of our time with on a regular basis. When you recognized those people, did any individuals stand out specifically? Did you realize that you hang out with any amazing women?
Everywhere I go I encounter amazing women who are doing amazing things. I am so blessed to know a tremendous amount of incredible ladies. There are days I am simply in awe of the things these women, my friends and acquaintances, are accomplishing. Emily is an amazing 15 year old 1st degree black belt. Michelle is amazing as one of the first female elders of her church. Alexis and Jan amazingly ran their first half-marathon in 2010. Ginger is a breast cancer survivor and an amazing teacher and volunteer. Rachelle designs and publishes an amazing free magazine for parents. Amy is an amazing full time seminary student and mother of a beautiful baby boy living with spina bifida. My mother, Irene, is an amazing woman who is still working as an operating nurse, her original and life-long calling.
I could go on and on listing reasons why each one of you is amazing. Please know, that I think very highly of you. How do you think about yourself? What makes YOU amazing? That might be a hard question for you to answer, but even if you’re humble, you know you are amazing in your own way. No matter where you are in life or what you’re doing, you were created for an amazing purpose. Recognize it. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Be amazing!!
FIRE!8 Email or call at least one amazing woman today. Tell her why you think she is amazing. Be the encouragement she needs to continue living her life as an amazing woman.
Be Excellent!
Lori
AIM8 Last week we evaluated who we were spending most of our time with on a regular basis. When you recognized those people, did any individuals stand out specifically? Did you realize that you hang out with any amazing women?
Everywhere I go I encounter amazing women who are doing amazing things. I am so blessed to know a tremendous amount of incredible ladies. There are days I am simply in awe of the things these women, my friends and acquaintances, are accomplishing. Emily is an amazing 15 year old 1st degree black belt. Michelle is amazing as one of the first female elders of her church. Alexis and Jan amazingly ran their first half-marathon in 2010. Ginger is a breast cancer survivor and an amazing teacher and volunteer. Rachelle designs and publishes an amazing free magazine for parents. Amy is an amazing full time seminary student and mother of a beautiful baby boy living with spina bifida. My mother, Irene, is an amazing woman who is still working as an operating nurse, her original and life-long calling.
I could go on and on listing reasons why each one of you is amazing. Please know, that I think very highly of you. How do you think about yourself? What makes YOU amazing? That might be a hard question for you to answer, but even if you’re humble, you know you are amazing in your own way. No matter where you are in life or what you’re doing, you were created for an amazing purpose. Recognize it. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Be amazing!!
FIRE!8 Email or call at least one amazing woman today. Tell her why you think she is amazing. Be the encouragement she needs to continue living her life as an amazing woman.
Be Excellent!
Lori
January 11, 2011
Your Companions
READY8 “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Proverbs 13:20 NIV
AIM8 While we’re all taking notes on our fresh new start in the new year, how many of you have taken note of the people with whom you’re spending your time? Who do you text, email, facebook message, talk to on the phone and hang out with outside of your home? It has been proven that we become like the five people we spend time with the most. If you’re willing to do a little personal inventory, answer these questions honestly about your companions:
Do those people make you feel good about yourself when you’re together?
What are their top three character qualities?
Do those people encourage you to pursue your dreams or criticize your efforts?
Do those people seek ways to bless you ‘just because’?
Do you actually like those five people?
The answers to your questions may be eye-opening. If you want to succeed and be a person of integrity, you may need to evaluate those five influential people in your life. If you realize that you’re being dragged down by too many negative Nellies, start limiting your time with those gals. If you recognize you feel great and empowered when you’re surrounded by positive Pollyanna’s, start adjusting your schedule to spend more time with them. You are in control of your environment and attitude. Why not make it enjoyable and exciting with encouraging people of excellence? It’s your year; it’s your life; it’s your turn to choose the companions who are influencing the rest of your life.
FIRE!8 Choose to be an excellent companion! If you realize that you’ve been the negative Nelly of your closest companions, make a conscious effort to choose words of praise and encouragement; however, be sincere in your effort or you won’t be taken seriously. Then, watch your own life change in a positive direction as a result of your uplifting words and actions.
Be Excellent!
Lori
AIM8 While we’re all taking notes on our fresh new start in the new year, how many of you have taken note of the people with whom you’re spending your time? Who do you text, email, facebook message, talk to on the phone and hang out with outside of your home? It has been proven that we become like the five people we spend time with the most. If you’re willing to do a little personal inventory, answer these questions honestly about your companions:
Do those people make you feel good about yourself when you’re together?
What are their top three character qualities?
Do those people encourage you to pursue your dreams or criticize your efforts?
Do those people seek ways to bless you ‘just because’?
Do you actually like those five people?
The answers to your questions may be eye-opening. If you want to succeed and be a person of integrity, you may need to evaluate those five influential people in your life. If you realize that you’re being dragged down by too many negative Nellies, start limiting your time with those gals. If you recognize you feel great and empowered when you’re surrounded by positive Pollyanna’s, start adjusting your schedule to spend more time with them. You are in control of your environment and attitude. Why not make it enjoyable and exciting with encouraging people of excellence? It’s your year; it’s your life; it’s your turn to choose the companions who are influencing the rest of your life.
FIRE!8 Choose to be an excellent companion! If you realize that you’ve been the negative Nelly of your closest companions, make a conscious effort to choose words of praise and encouragement; however, be sincere in your effort or you won’t be taken seriously. Then, watch your own life change in a positive direction as a result of your uplifting words and actions.
Be Excellent!
Lori
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