We throw off the lie of perfection and cling to our identity in God as we strive to be whole, healthy, and fit. Our goal is wholeness, not perfection.

Posts tagged ‘purpose’

12 Days of Christmas: Day 2 – Dream Big

2nd Day of Christmas

…my blogger friends gave to me: The permission to Dream

Dreams can be scary.  God dreams tend to be scary, but scary good.  You know He’s got something big in store for you.  Like Ephesians 3:20 big and you’re scared that it’ll shake up your life a bit too much.

Dream BIG

If the fear of stepping out of your comfort zone has you frozen in your tracks, check out Jon Acuff’s Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, Do Work that Matters.  That’s by far the best title of a book.  Ever.  Start not only dares you to dream, but gives you the courage to make your dreams come true.  Acuff also provides homework in the appendix to put some action behind that newly found courage.

Start Book

I’m not sure if Lara Casey has read any of Jon Acuff’s books or attended any of his speaking engagements, but her PowerSheets seamlessly pick up where Start‘s homework leaves off.  The sheets walk you through introspective prep work (daring you to once again punch fear in the face) and then setting goals to tackle every day, week, and month.  Midway (after the third month) through the sheets you’ll go through a “refresh” process (similar to the initial prep work) to assess your progress and adjust your goals as needed.  In her 2015 PowerSheets video, Lara Casey stresses that the sheets are “about progress, not perfection” which is something we strongly encourage at Catalyst Movement.

POWERSHEETS

She also mentions how sharing our goals – via social media, with trusted friends, in the FB PowerSheets group, and small groups (online #2015GoalSetting or in person) – fosters accountability and can provide a source of encouragement. Which is exactly what the inneractive™ Fit Club F.O.C.U.S. leadership series does.  It’s not about making more or even doing more. It is an opportunity to tap into your God given abilities – gifts and talents – and use them to be more.  Be more what exactly? That depends on you and what God’s called you to do. Everyone of us has a passion that God has knitted into the very fabric of who we are.

Maybe you want to monetize whatever it is you’re passionate about. Perhaps you simply want to explore it and see how God can use your story to bless others. Or maybe you have so many ideas about your goals that you don’t know where to start. This mentoring program will help you with all of that and more.  Click the image below for more details.

FOCUS

So, as you reflect on 2014 and dream about what’s to come in 2015, do your dreams scare you?

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goals

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 1 – Choose your ONE Word

There are many goals for Catalyst Movement, with the foundational goal being to help women live out loud.  To help each woman, regardless of her age, to live her life on purpose, with purpose.  Unfortunately, as women we often feel that we need permission to focus on ourselves.  The 12 Days of Christmas Health and Wholeness Challenge is us at Catalyst Movement giving you, and ourselves permission to do just that.  So let’s reflect on 2014 and intentionally spend the last six days of it, and the first six days of the new year in order to enter 2015 worry and guilt free.

1st Day of Christmas

…my blogger friends gave to me: The Permission to get Focused

In the spring of 2013 a God friend introduced me to the idea of choosing one word to guide your year rather than making a New Year’s resolution.  Granted, it was spring when she shared this with me, but I had long forgotten my resolution I set in January.  Having the opportunity to start over, almost half way through the year, motivated me to check out what this One Word movement was all about.  The fact that two of the authors are involved in FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes – an organization I have been involved with over the past six years) made it all that more attractive to me.  The authors recommend that when choosing a new word for the year, that you not completely scrap the previous year’s word.

My word for 2013 – Stewardship

Funny story.  I became painfully aware of all my resources I was wasting – time, energy, money, health, etc. – and told God that I wanted to become a better steward.  I asked him to help me organize and manage my personal space (both at home and at work), my time, my energy, my sleep, and what I ate.  My prayer went something like this “Lord, please help me to take care of all that You have already given me, then expand my territory. I do not want to squander what You have already given me only to do the same with what You are going to give me.”  Apparently He knows me better than I do, and decided to expand my territory first by blessing me with identical twin boys.  I didn’t have a choice but to spend my resources more wisely! {Matthew 25:14-30}

My word for 2014 – Intentional

Building on Stewardship, I focused on being intentional with the resources God has blessed me with.  Especially my time.  Juggling newborn twins, a seven year old, a marriage, and career has been challenging, and I wanted to make sure that I was fully present wherever I was.  Although I haven’t been 100% intentional 100% of the time, having the word as my focus for the year has served as a much needed anchor for my attention. {1 Corinthians 10:23-33}

My word for 2015 – Finish

It is a call to action not only to finish several projects I’ve started over the years, but also to finish some God assignments that I was too afraid to see through.  In order to finish these projects and assignments I will definitely need to be intentional with my time and a good steward of my time. {1 Corinthians 9:23-25}

One Word

Are you already utilizing One Word in your life?  If you are, comment below with your word for the new year.  If you aren’t, visit the One Word site learn more about finding your word for 2015.

Category:

balance, family, organization, Scripture, time management

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You’re Already Amazing Monday: Chapter 2

This is my second attempt at recapping Chapter 2.  My first attempt read too much like a middle school book report.  Okay, maybe elementary.  So I’m going to share my personal highlights and takeaways from the chapter.

  • God planted the “Who am I really?” question in our hearts to help us understand who he created us to be.  If we don’t know who he created us to be, then we can’t fulfill the purpose he has for our lives.
  • Knowing who I really am is necessary to love God, others, and myself more.

Strengths

  • A strength is a personal characteristic that can be use on behalf of God in service to others.
  • The three strengths I identified – trustworthy, cheerful, supportive
  • God is the source of my strengths, I am not (Philipians 4:13)
  • When I come up short, I need to focus on who I am in Christ
  • My divinely created strengths are supported by my weaknesses, because if I was good at everything (which I’m not by the way), I wouldn’t focus on much of anything (which is difficult enough already with ADHD, thank you very much)
  • My assets (strengths) can easily become defects if I don’t keep my motives and their intensity in check

Skills

  • A skill is a strength expressed in a specific way that builds up others and benefits the kingdom – NOT the definition I would have given before reading this chapter
  • Mad props to Holley for referencing Napoleon Dynamite and making me giggle
  • The three skills I identified – relating, encouraging, guiding
  • Strengths stay consistent throughout life but the skills that express them can vary depending on the season of life I’m in
  • God wants my heart more than my skills – Thank you, Jesus.  Because some days I feel like a complete failure for not getting enough accomplished.  Or for not being cheerful or supportive enough.

My “Who” and Who I’m Called to Serve

These were my favorite sections of the chapter.  It took me several years to identify my social circles, and My “Who” served as a nice refresher.  This came at the perfect time, since I am returning to work after an extended maternity leave.  I don’t have the opportunity to regularly interact with adults (other than my husband), so remembering that I can’t truly share who I am with everyone there was a timely reminder.  Who I’m Called to Serve was an encouragement to keep striving to work on my dream of serving in ministry full time.

your strengths + your skills + who you’re called to serve

=

you making a difference in the world in your own amazing way

God’s Heart for Who I Really Am

This section made me cry.  Every time I read it.  Growing up, I struggled with being mixed.  I believed that I wasn’t Latina enough because I don’t fluently speak Spanish.  I believed that I wasn’t Black enough, because, well, I don’t look Black.  (I don’t use African American because my family is Caribbean and it just doesn’t fit) I knew that I could pass for being White but didn’t want to.  I wanted to be accepted for the unique person that I am.  I wanted to feel like I belonged.  God healed this particular heartbreak, but reading these words let me see how God has used the break to shine through me.

We are much more than pretty…we are wonderfully made.

We are much more than likeable…we are deeply loved.

We are much more than okay…we are daughters of the King.

I think the enemy tricks us into believing we are not enough because he knows if we discover the truth, we’ll be unstoppable.

Tears.  Tears of joy.  Tears of relief.  Tears of regret over wasted strengths and skills due to fear.  Tears of grace.  But then I wiped away my tears with a renewed sense of determination as I read these closing words:

Girls, let’s stop shaking in our boots and instead start standing tall for him together.

Let’s use our strengths, skills, and relationships to make a  difference.

Let’s be who we are, really.

I can’t do it alone – are you with me?

YES, I am!  How about you?

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grace, truth

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