You Can Trade Your Frustrations; Reflections on Lessons from a Squirrel

From my deck I enjoy watching the squirrels joyfully at play in the back yard.  I think they are so cute. Taking a break while watching them helps me unwind. There are many fun observations one can make about squirrels. Gracefully scampering and leaping from branch to branch, they make me think of the grace and poise of the ballerina. Obviously from an innate understanding, and without any cues, squirrels just have an accurate estimation of measuring distance and awareness of perception.  And they know how, when and where to hide from predators.  God created them that way.

What more are we to him? Squirrels cannot praise him. Squirrels cannot worship him. Yet, God designed them to survive. He provides for them day by day. He put joy and play inside of them. What more has he placed inside of us, the ones who are made in the image of him?

I believe we sometimes short-change ourselves. We go through life’s perplexities with the mindset that we are carrying this big brown bag of burdens on our backs.  I’ve never seen a squirrel sitting under a tree sulking about not finding an acorn. Nor have I’ve ever observed one sinking in despair.  No, they make the decision to hunt for their provision and protection.

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Remember Who & Whose You Are: How to Keep Things in Perspective

I was sitting here thinking that God has a sense of humor.

There’s no other explanation I could come up with for what was going through my mind. A couple of years ago he spoke to me to elevate, educate and motivate his people.  Initially I had no idea what he meant or how to do that. Later it occurred to me that I had been sort of doing this all along, in my small way. I knew that it was important to me to let people know there’s always a way out of situations and circumstances.  I truly believe that. Therefore, I began sharing my heart about this subject matter during my 360 Mountain Moving Motivation calls.

And then the enemy strikes back.

Within the last couple of weeks, my husband and I have been under so much pressure.  We were threatened with a civil suit and to add insult to injury, I later received an unpleasant report from my doctor. How does God expect me to elevate, educate and motivate others when I need someone to encourage me?

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From Toleration to Transformation: Are You Tolerating What Needs to Change?

 

We paid for our groceries and were nearing the exit door when I remembered that I’d forgotten the onions. Leaving the grocery cart with me by the door, my husband scooted over to the produce section to get the onions. I watched him from where I stood. Smiling and greeting people entering and exiting the supermarket, I’d forgotten about him.  But after what seemed a long while it dawned on me that he was taking an awful long time. By now I’d become antsy. My smile abruptly transformed into a frustrated frown. I could still see him from where I stood with the groceries. He was going from one isle of produce to another and I was wondering, “What is he doing?” “I’d only asked for onions!”

I was about to call out to him in my frustration but I thought it wouldn’t be at all kosher.  He was taking so long. But you know what, something very strange happened at that very moment. I heard myself say, “Okay Lord, I am going to let patience have its perfect work.” Did I say that? Now I have to be honest here. I was not thinking about being patient nor did I want to be. But God obviously used this opportunity to show me I needed to check my tolerance level. Those words literally spun in my spirit and dropped out of my mouth.

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Motivation to Start 2012 Right: Principles for a Prosperous New Year

Over the holidays I set aside some much-needed time for some inner reflecting and catching up on my reading. I didn’t want to be caught up in the usual faux ritual of making empty declarations for the ensuing New Year such as: “This is my year” or “My New Year will be better than last year.” It’s not that I am suddenly taking on a cynical attitude; quite the contrary. I simply want every bit of my expectancy and excitement to authentically leap from every part of my being. I want what God wants for the New Year. I needed to know if my forward thinking is of His will, or just merely a fleshy moment of mimicking the outbursts of others.

As I always aim to thrust you forward, to help you pull from within you every bit of your power and potential, and to motivate you to design your best life, I ask that you read this article with your spiritual eyes. I pray the Father’s anointing on every word as it penetrates your heart. Know that this year, 2012, can truly be better than your 2011. Understand that you have already been equipped with what you need to make this a reality. And see to it that you don’t short-change or short-circuit yourself. If you do, you are simply saying to Jesus that he went to cross in vain. I know you would never say that, so show Him that you believe Him.

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Spice Up Your Home for the Holidays: Glamorous & Inviting Decorating Ideas

Editor's Note: Dr. Deana, your favorite motivational columnist is also a gifted and sought-after interior designer. This year, to help get you ready for Christmas, she's sharing some lovely decorating tips to give you inspiration to spice up your home for the holidays. Enjoy!

One of the highlights of the season is decorating your home for the holidays. I still get excited about holiday decorating even more now than I did as a child. That’s probably because today I am an interior designer and get to explore and experiment with the different themes that bubble up in my heart. You probably have begun your decorations already for the holidays, yet regardless of how you decorate, the best part of holiday decorating is keeping it personal and making it a family project. Whether you’ve started already or have yet a few finishing touches to add, I offer tips for you just in time to prepare your home for the holiday celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Before you begin decorating, it’s a good idea to take inventory of what you already have and decide what you love, hate, need to repair or need to get rid of. This clears tangible space in the home and intangible space in the mind to buy some new, fun holiday decorations, or at least establish a feel for what you’d like to do this year. I am sort of an “out-of-the-box” thinker when it comes to decorating. What I mean is I take the decor an extra step or two just to keep away from tradition and conventional style. Here’s what I mean:

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