celebrating life

𝓦𝓮𝓮𝓴 7

I passed the half way mark in my fifties this past January, and I AM GRATEFUL.

My mentor passed away at the young age of 55 several years ago. It devastated me to lose someone so godly, young and so giving. I recognized then that life was indeed a gift, something to treasure and respect, never to be taken for granted. It was at that time that I began to think about my legacy and what I wanted it to be. The thing about legacy is you have to live it while you are alive. When you are gone there is nothing you can add or subtract.

My birthday always occur during my 21 days fasting period in January so its usually tough to celebrate. No cakes, no treats, no fun food, but God always bring a revelation so its worth the sacrifice. This year for my birthday I had the pleasure of attending the Oprah Vision 2020 tour when it came through Charlotte. There were some key takeaways that will serve me in this season of life and is applicable to you, my reader, wherever you may be on your journey.

The 5 takeaways I want to share are:

1. You deserve rest. This is self explanatory no matter how old you are. Even God rested on the 7th day of creation.

2. You don’t get what you want in life, you get what you intend. Be clear about your intentions. We have to be mindful of our dominant thoughts because that is what is going to manifest in our lives. "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."Philippians 4:8

3. Discover your own flow. What is the stream that is going to carry you forward without you resisting? Stop and consider perhaps what it is that God created YOU to do. Let's not worry about what someone else may be doing. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10

4. Be fully present in every moment. Be in one conversation at a time, If you are with your loved ones do not be on the phone with someone else.

5. You can have all your heart desires, but you cannot have it all at the same time. We have to learn to be patient with ourselves. Our timing is different from God's timing. "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1

Life happens in the most unexpected places.

I had a surprising moment on my birthday from three strangers who showed me what true hospitality looked like. I had a prior scheduled business meeting in their office and to my surprise, these three women threw me an impromptu birthday party with balloons, fruit smoothies and a salad because they knew I was fasting. The woman on my right I met for the first time, while the two ladies on my left I had met once or twice before. It was a truly grateful moment for me and a reminder that God knows our every need, even the need for a birthday celebration!

Finally, let's get back to legacy and gratitude.

I want my legacy to be that I added value to everyone who I came in contact with, beginning with my own family and spreading beyond~ "and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" Acts 1:8.

In January I was able to spend some quality with my granddaughter who always brings me joy. In this picture we both had the flu, but we were literally trying to "kick" it out of us! Life is what we make it out to be. I do not know where you are today my friend or what you may be going through, but remember this: while you have life, there is hope. Make each day count. Be gracious, hospitable, kind and good. The world need your kind.

See you on the journey!

PS. Our current Spiritual Mentoring Circle is in full swing! Our next Circle begins March 23, 2010. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS.

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