Wait, what?

I was on cloud nine last week.  I had just received news that I received a job offer to a great position at a well known organization in Dallas.  It was Friday morning and all my excitement fizzled as I received word of the numbers.  You know, those numbers – the important numbers.  The ones that make up your compensation.  Wait, what? 

Total. Let. Down.

“God, why would you provide me this opportunity but not fulfill it the way I was anticipating?”  Somewhere in my greedy mind I figured God would provide a job and then go above and beyond and bless me with a great compensation as well.  Nope.  Didn’t happen.  I began doing math, would this number even work for my current financial budget?  Could we survive on less?

I had to snap out of this feeling.  I knew my God wouldn’t open a door without providing for me and my family.  My faith is too strong, but why did I felt so discouraged?  I don’t know why, other than the fact that the enemy was trying to rain on my parade.  The battle of negativity in one’s mind always stems from the evil one whose job is to steal, kill and destroy.  I reached out to my fellow sisters in Christ and I was no longer battling this discouragement alone.  Back to back words of encouragement, prayers and support filled my inbox.  Instantaneously, I felt God’s presence over me and the ease of his yoke. I was going to be just fine. 

 

So are you going to accept job even though you will be making less?  Well, the answer is yes.  I have to mention that I will be working for a non for profit organization along with the fact that I will be working 35 hours a week versus 40, so I always knew it would be a little less than what I was currently making.  I just didn’t know it would be a bigger difference than expected.  Worry did fill my mind initially, but as mentioned, my God wouldn’t open a door and not provide a way.  You see, last year around this time my husband and I signed up for a challenge.  It was a 90 day challenge that our church encouraged everyone to do.  This 90 day challenge consisted of tithing 10 percent of your income for 3 months.  If you didn’t see God change your life within that time frame the church agreed to reimburse you in full 100%.  Obviously, I didn’t get any of that money back because immediately I began to see God’s goodness in my life.  I use to have this entitlement to my money and it was not easy offering it up every Sunday because I had bills to pay.  Looking at my budget, there was no way we could afford to give away 10% of our combined income.  But, during that series I felt severely convicted and I also felt a need to let go and let God.  I needed Him to be the focal point of my finances.  My husband and I had good jobs, but there was still a battle over money.  The bills added up, the kids always needed something and we weren’t moving up as fast as we’d hoped.  Money was always a worry of mine and when I signed up and obeyed God’s word, well he didn’t fail me.  I can honestly, with a proud heart say that God has blessed my finances in immeasurable ways since I began to bring him the first 10%.  As a family, as a married couple, we have been lifted in such blessings with the tangible and intangible. 

While it has been nice to be able to achieve things like a new car, house remodeling and dine at a nice restaurant, it is the intangible that has been the bigger blessing thus far.  Learning to humble myself before God and make Him in charge of it all has been such a life lesson that I will instill in my children, which will prosper their children and their grandchildren.  No amount of money could ever fill me with the feeling of the greater good I feel as a giver.  To see people find God through my church shows me that the money I give is doing far more and beyond what I would have done with it.  I can also tell you that while I am working with 90% versus 100%, my money lasts longer, it stretches, it adds up and as a family, we have been more successful in all areas of our life than ever before. 

So when you ask me, are you going to accept that job even though you will be making less?  And you wonder if I will be able to survive on less -  all I can say is I’ve done it before, I’ll do it again.  God always provides.  He never fails.  He is a good God.  This opened door is still an answered prayer and even though it’s not exactly everything I’d hoped, I need to lean not on my own understanding but trust Him with all my heart.  He will make my path straight. 

 

Lord, thank you for humbling me and for bringing this testimony out in the open for all to read.  Thank you for all the ways you have blessed my life with the tangible and intangible.  Today I pray for everyone reading this to take hold of your word and know that while you did it for me, you can do it for them too.  Amen.

 

 

Promised Land

I’ve been on a journey this past year.  I reached a valley in the first few months of this year with my career.  Not only did I feel I had hit a plateau, but I also became unsatisfied with the way my manager was coaching and directing my career path – there was no motivation for me to continue to work for an employer who was not going to value what I had to offer.  I had reached my last straw after I spoke to my boss and realized weeks later that while she promised to be a better manager, nothing had changed.  I was so ready to throw in the towel and quit.  I was upset and I dwelled on my unhappy situation trying to find a quick solution to my problem.  And then after all my options failed miserably, I allowed God to take over and what a relief that was.  1 Peter 5:7-11 says “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is going the same kind of sufferings.  And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.  To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.” 

I had to hold on to God’s promises day after day, even on days where it seemed like his promise would never come.  I knew that my God would turn my test into a testimony and that is exactly what he did. 

 

Do you trust that God is for you even when He doesn’t give you what you asked for? – Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker

 

For my birthday, one of my good friends bought me a journal.  The cover reads, “Let your faith be bigger than your fear.”  I didn’t realize it at the time, but that would be my motto in the upcoming months.  I didn’t tell many people, but I actually resigned from my job in February.  I read the book “Produced by Faith” by Devon Franklin and within the first chapter I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me.  “Resign.”  My husband was in the shower and when he came out, I told him we needed to talk.  Tears streamed down my face as I read the chapter to him.  Here I was making a decision to resign with no plan B, no safety net – all I had was my faith.  I had finally let go and let God. 

 

 

Take a step of faith when God gives you a vision because you trust that the One who gave you the vision is going to make provision.  And for the record, if the vision is from God, it will most definitely be beyond your means. – Mark Batterson, The Prayer Circle

 

I felt a big weight lifted off my shoulders once that decision was made. My parents thought I was crazy.  “What are you thinking?  You need your job.”  “Mom/Dad, I am going to be fine.  Really I am.”  My mom was so worried, but you know what happened?  She text me one day, “Vickie, I was praying for you this morning and I felt God tell me that everything was going to be alright.”  For me that was more confirmation, but I had my mind made up, my heart was at peace and I knew God would provide a way. 

 

Faith is willingness to look foolish. – Mark Batterson, The Circle Maker

 

When I gave my boss my resignation letter, it didn’t go down so smoothly, in fact she was very defensive.  God gave me the courage to speak my mind and voice all my concerns and let my boss know all the things that I could never say.  After a few meetings and having her apologize, she asked me if I would reconsider my resignation.  I ultimately did only because I felt change was actually going to happen, not just for me but for my coworkers who were also unhappy. 

 

Sometimes the power of prayer is the power to carry on.  It doesn’t always change your circumstances, but it gives you the strength to walk through them.  When you pray through, the burden is taken off your shoulders and put on the shoulders of Him who carried the cross to Calvary. – Mark Batterson, The  Circle Maker

 

During this time, I was also reading “The Prayer Circle 40 day Prayer Challenge”.  There is a quote in this book that says, “It’s not just where you end up that’s important; it’s how you get there.  Goal setting begins and ends with prayer.”  If I wanted God to show up in my life I had to do something different.  I needed to pray bold prayers and I needed to stay focused on spending more time with him.  Yes, I go to church every week, but my relationship with God shouldn’t begin and end on Sunday.  God wants us to talk to Him about everything.  The good days, the bad days and everything in between.  He wants to remain #1 in our lives and to create a closer bond, we must seek Him.   I also kept a journal through my prayer challenge and I took things up a notch by fasting from sweets (my biggest weakness).  After the 40 days passed, I wish I could say a great miracle happened on the 40^th day, but it did not.  Instead I decided to start all over.  Currently I’m on day 30 of my second go round.   

 

Many people never see God part the Jordan River in their lives because their feet are firmly planted on dry ground.  We’re waiting for God to make a move while God is waiting for us to make a move.  We say to God, “Why don’t you part this river?” And God says to us, “Why don’t you get your feet wet?”  But if you make a move, you’ll see God move.  And He can move heaven and earth.” – Mark Batterson, The Prayer Circle

 

Here we are months later and an opportunity arose clearly out of the blue.  I went ahead and applied.  Two phone interviews and two in person interviews later, I am elated to announce that I was offered the position.  It makes me cry just thinking about my journey.  Months ago, I was so miserable, looking for every and any job to apply to just so I could get out of here.  Nothing.  No call backs.  Nothing.  I was so upset.  God where are you?  The funny thing is He was there all along, I was just trying to do things my way.  I had a lot to learn these past months.  His timing was perfect and as much as I may, I will never forget Habakkuk 2:3 “Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

 

When you pray regularly, you never know when God will show up or speak up.  Today could be the day.  When you live in prayer mode, you live with holy anticipation.  You know that coincidences are providences.  Any moment can turn into a holy moment.  God can invade the reality of your life at three o’clock one afternoon and change everything. – Mark Batterson, The Prayer Circle

 

Every gift that comes from God is worth waiting for.  Be encouraged and wait patiently on the Lord.  Trust in Him and he will work things out.  It won’t always be the answer you want, but God has a way of working all things out for good.  God is faithful, trust in Him and His perfect timing.

 

I promise you this; God is ready and waiting.  So while I have no idea what circumstances you find yourself in, I’m confident that you are only a prayer away from a dream fulfilled, a promise kept, or a miracle performed. – Mark Batterson, The Prayer Circle

Home Improvement Part III

Last year we set the bar high for our home makeover projects.    We put new flooring in our living room, dining room and family room (including a hallway).  We went from hideous carpet to a beautiful dark wood laminate. We also purchased stainless steel appliances and purchased a much needed dining room chandelier. The house went from old fashioned to modern in a matter of months.  Once that was completed, it was a defining moment for us.  We realized we could and we should.  We opened some credit and made a pact to pay it off before interest kicked in.  10 months later I am proud to say we did just that.  Talk about knocking two birds with one stone - we built our credit and paid it off same as cash.   

 A few months ago, my husband and I wanted to move forward with our next project, but the question was, “What would the next project be?”  Honestly, we have a list a mile long, but we narrowed our decision to redoing our guest and master restrooms and giving our master bedroom some new carpet. 

Guest bathroom would receive new flooring (tile), paint, trim, vanity, faucet, toilet, mirror and light fixture. 

Master bathroom would receive a standing shower, new flooring (tile), paint, trim, separate vanities, mirrors, toilet and light fixture. 

Bedroom would receive new carpet.

We used our previous contact to complete our flooring, standing shower and carpet.  They were done in 3.5 days.  The rest of the work was completed by my husband.  He removed the old vanities/mirrors, removed wallpaper from bathrooms, painted and did all the installation.  He also cut and installed the trim that went into the bathrooms.   

Guest Bath:

 

 

Before - (Vanity and Mirror were removed)

 

      

      

 Master Bath:

Before

 

We found 70s wallpaper behind our mirror. 

 

Carpet use to live here.

 

 

 

Finished product - his and hers vanity duo with a lovely reminder between the mirrors.

 

 Master Shower:

 

 

 

We will eventually replace the shower curtain with a glass door.  Unfortunately, due to our budget being exceeded, we don't have the money available right now, but we plan to get it done before the end of the year.



This new standing shower is my favorite part of it all.

 

 

 Master Bedroom:

 

The carpet we had in our Master was so OLD, stained and gross.  This one change made our bedroom look so different.

 

Doing a lot of the work yourself can have its drawbacks, but at the end of the day it makes you feel very proud and accomplished.  For me, it wasn’t just an investment of money, but an investment of time, work and sacrifice. My husband did the majority of the labor – I did all the cleaning, but I was also able to do the fun part which was shop for new décor.  Overall it was a team effort and while we are still recovering from the long hours  of hard work, we have enjoyed marking this project off our list.



Amor Eterno

Here we are in the month of the May.  This month signifies so much – bright sunny days, graduations, Memorial Day, Cinco de Mayo, but most importantly, it is the month in which a day is set aside to recognize all mothers.  I LOVE Mother’s Day – not only do my husband and children do a great job of spoiling me, but it gives me the opportunity to spend the day with those who I love most and celebrate the woman who gave birth to me, raised me and molded me into the woman I am today.  What would I do without her?  It also gives me an opportunity to spend time with my mother in law, who raised my husband into the great man that he is.  We should always show this type of love and gratitude to our mothers throughout the year, but this day is extra special. 

This year I will be out of town for Mother’s Day, and I hate the fact that I won’t be in town to celebrate with my mom. I came up with this idea to take her and my mother in law out to brunch to celebrate a week early.  I’m the queen of surprises and last year, my siblings and I surprised my mom with mariachi at our Mother’s Day celebration.  Out of nowhere, here comes a group of mariachi into my sister’s home and my mom stops, covers her face and starts crying.  The moment was perfection and our plan worked – she loved it.  This year, I wanted to surprise her again.

I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day.  The weather was gorgeous, sunny with a cool breeze. We got to the restaurant, placed our order and grabbed a seat outside on the patio.  Shortly later, the mariachi arrived and began to serenade our table with “Las Mañanitas” and for a whole hour we danced, laughed, cried, and enjoyed the beauty of family, friends and even strangers. 

 

 

 

At one point, the mariachi sang “Amor Eterno” which is a very popular song that speaks about a loved one who has passed.  I asked my mom to dance and with tears in her eyes, she said “This song reminds me grandma.”  I looked over her shoulder and I see my dad crying as he thinks of his mother who passed away a few years ago. With a hug I console them and I take in their pain. For a brief second I begin to think of that one day when I will no longer have my mom, but that day hasn’t come yet and I thank God for days like this where I can enjoy her and indulge in her presence and her love.  We stopped dancing and sat down to finish hearing this beautiful song.  Strangers were sitting all around us and this one man caught my attention – he was videotaping the mariachi while singing his heart out and tears were rolling down his face.  His hand that was holding his phone was shaking and I couldn’t help but feel touched by his emotion over this song. 

I loved that the people who happened to eat here were able to partake in this beautiful celebration.  We had several ladies join us for a dance and couples – including the owner and his wife got up to dance.  The day was perfect and it will definitely go down as one of the best celebrations I have been able to share with my family.

 

Mom,

 

Thank you mom always being there for me.  I honestly would not be where I am, or be the woman that I am if it wasn’t for you.  Several times I steered off course, but your prayers and support pulled me back on track.  I firmly believe that those prayers and the prayers of grandma have been answered and I am able to reap the blessings now.  I enjoy our talks, your advice, and our trips to Marshall’s and Ross to look for stuff for the house.  I love that every Sunday when I get there at 8:30 to start serving, you are there too, drinking your coffee waiting to go downstairs to help with the kids.  That makes me really proud.    For everything you’ve done and continue to do for me, I just want to say Thank You.  Being a mother isn’t easy, I know that now.  But because of the magnitude of the difficulty, I now know the true meaning of all the sacrifices you made for me.  Thank you, thank you and may God continue to fill your heart with love, protect you from harm and grant you health for all the days of your life. 

Why you gotta be so rude?

 

How are you supposed to react when someone treats you unfairly?  What do you do when someone is rude to you?  There is always some part of us, (if not a BIG part of us) that wants to reciprocate those actions right back.  Let’s be real.  When someone is rude, don’t we just want to say, “Excussssssseee Me……….oh no you didn’t.”

Well chances are, we can’t always come out with those words or actions.  If you are dealing with someone in authority, we just can’t be that way.  I remember one day my mom and I were at Macy’s.  My mom was checking out and I had a coupon I wanted my mom to use to save an extra 15%.  The lady at the cash register couldn’t figure out how to apply the coupon, so instead she told me that we couldn’t use it.  I responded very nicely by saying, “Can you try again?”  She looked at me as if I was stupid and said, “You can’t use it.”  I began to get irritated.  The problem was I pulled the coupon up on my phone.  It was not printed.  Most times, the associate would pull the code from the phone and key it in and viola, the discount was applied.  I’m assuming she did not know how to do it and rather than ask a coworker, she proceeded to tell me I couldn’t use it AND she was rude.  I had been going to church for a while at this point and I was trying my best not to be rude back.   I knew I had to represent kindness, love and compassion.   “Mam, I use these coupons all the time.  Usually the person just keys in the code and it works.  Do you think you could ask someone to help?”  She got so upset and proceed to tell me once again that I couldn’t use the coupon.  She then stared at me as if I was stupid and I couldn’t hold it in anymore………I stared at her right back.  (It was a staring contest at this point.)  “Can you please not look at me like I’m stupid?  I’ve used these coupons before.”  By this time, her coworker came over and showed her that all she had to do was key in the code.  Just like magic, the coupon was applied and I received 15% off.  She was so upset.  She wanted to have the last word (of course) so as she finished ringing us up, she went on to say that those coupons are supposed to be printed, yada, yada, yada…..  I let her talk, but by then I was already upset.  Part of me was mad at myself for slipping.  After my mom paid, we walked off and she laughed.  “I just saw the old Vickie come out.”  I can look back and laugh too, but at the moment I was still upset.  Why did she have to be so rude?

I don’t know how I would handle if this happened again.   The old saying is so true, Kill them with kindness, but sometimes that doesn’t seem to get you anywhere (at least that’s how you feel in the moment). 

One of my coworkers just resigned and after talking more in depth with her, it seems she was dealing with an unpleasant group of girls who have been referred to as “The Mean Girls”.   The stress was weighing on her.  My coworker is a Christian woman and a big ray of sunshine.  She was always so happy and peppy, so to hear she was dealing with this stress for the past 9 months was surprising.  I had no clue.  She really hid it well.  She told me, “I didn’t want to run from this.  I wanted to be the bigger person and kill them with kindness.” Amongst all her efforts, there was no avail.  A personal issue occurred that called her back home to Louisiana, but the damage had been done and the decision to leave was made easier due to the problem at work.

So what do you do when things like this happen?

One thing I’ve learned though many of my trials/valleys is that every time you face some sort of adversity or injustice or hardship, it’s placed for different reasons, but ultimately, I’ve seen that those times are there to build your character.  How are you going to handle it?

But it’s unfair, I don’t like it……… Yep, I’ve said those things before.  God, I’m trying but I just can’t anymore.  God then proceeds by telling me, “You can’t or you won’t?” 

You got me.  It’s because I don’t want to.

I’m still going through my sharpening so I can’t really tell you the key factor that gets you to the other side other than communicating with God and reflecting on the word.  When I do that I get a brand new perspective and I feel convicted when my actions don’t match with his direction.  

Whatever difficulty or difficult person you are dealing with right now, learn to look at the situation differently.  Instead of fighting against it, try to accept the situation as a way God is sharpening you.  Give thanks and change your perspective.   

You will get through it and you will become a better person because of it.  I have no doubt.
 

The Oak Tree

A mighty wind blew night and day It stole the oak tree's leaves away Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark Until the oak was tired and stark But still the oak tree held its ground While other trees fell all around The weary wind gave up and spoke. How can you still be standing Oak? The oak tree said, I know that you Can break each branch of mine in two Carry every leaf away Shake my limbs, and make me sway But I have roots stretched in the earth Growing stronger since my birth You'll never touch them, for you see They are the deepest part of me Until today, I wasn't sure Of just how much I could endure But now I've found, with thanks to you I'm stronger than I ever knew

Touch the Sky

Music  can be an array of things: entertaining, soothing, romantic, energizing, and even motivational.

Have you ever felt like your day is starting off as a total bust?  Ever felt in need of some inspiration?  Music comforts me and it gets me through most days.  I’m a big fan of Spotify and I wanted to share my different playlists with you. I hope you can find some inspiration or an uplift in mood through my playlists.

Follow me on Spotify.

Touch the Sky – inspiration/uplifting faith based music/worship music
 

I Need You the Most - upbeat, dance, hip hop/rap music




Fiesta - party music (mainly Spanish)




Chai Again - slow jams, mostly acoustic (mellow/chill mood)

Girl Chat

I was joined by one my favorite friends this Saturday to a workout session by Grit Fitness held at our local mall in Dallas, TX.  We found ourselves sweaty and pushing through each set as strangers walked passed us.  We didn’t care, we were on a mission to feel good!  After our sweat fest, we found ourselves hungry (of course, right after a workout) and found a nearby spot to catch up on girl chat.  A hour later, we departed and it felt great to catch up, laugh, share and vent. 

After I left, I was on my way home and I got a text from my sister-in-law Rita, “When can we have a one on one date?  I miss you and we need to talk about life.”  Before I go on, I have to tell you, I had a million and one things to do that day, and although I wanted to respond and say, “Yes, let’s meet up” all I could do was think of my to do list.  Just as I was going back and forth in my head.  I stopped mid thought.  I just started reading “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” and I remembered a passage I had just read the night before.  I can’t remember it verbatim, but it said something along the lines of don’t obsess with to do lists.  When you check off your items, there will immediately be a new list of items to check off.  When you die, you will still have an inbox of things to do.  Sometimes you just have to enjoy life as it is without worrying if things will get done or not.  Now, I feel this applies to personalities like mine who can’t just stop and smell the roses.  If you are like me, you’ll understand.  I’m always on the go, with things to do and sometimes there just isn’t enough time to relax.  Although, I love that about myself, it can also be a negative factor.  So instead of putting it off for tomorrow, I gave my sister in law a call and said, “I’m free today.  What time do you want to meet up?” 

And how glad was I that I let go of my to do list for the day.  Not only did I accomplish letting go of a planned day of list checking, I managed to not only get my items done, but I also got to spend time with 3 special ladies in my life.  I met my mom for a pedicure and a little shopping and still had time to go to the groceries and clean house.  I spent that night relaxing and having more girl chat with my sister-in-law.  The best kind of girl chat is being in your comfy clothes and grabbing a coffee or tea.  We sat outside of Starbucks with the night sky as our backdrop and sipped our lattes and expressed our frustration with work and shared topics that were weighing on us.  We closed down Starbucks and we were the last car in the lot.  Talk about girl chat to its fullest. 

Having time to reflect on life with friends is like sunshine on a darkened day.  It cheers us up.  It helps us release what we hold in that our husbands just don’t understand. 

My take away for today is make time for a girlfriend in your life.  Sometimes you’ll realize you need it more than they do.