ME23: 6 Steps to Turn Your Resolutions into Your Revolution (Part 5)

Greetings from The D-Vine!

Wow! I don't know about you, but 2016 has gotten off to a crazy start for me. As I mentioned in my last post, my family and I are working on something and there's a big transition that goes along with it. But I promise, when it's all over, you'll get the exclusive story from yours truly. :)

Now, let's dive in to Part 5 of ME23!

Psalm 23:5 NLT

"You prepare a FEAST for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup OVERFLOWS with blessings."

Principle #5: You Already Have More Than What it Takes to Win

I spent more time pondering this particular verse than any of the first four verses. To me, it personifies what a real personal revolution is all about. If you've already come this far in my blog series, I believe it's because you don't want to just survive, you want to THRIVE! 

There's a lasting result that we're after here, and it should have an exponential impact on how you do life. So in order to help you get the most out of this week's principle, I thought I'd break it down into its three essential points.

1. When you think of a feast, you probably think of food, right? Well, I think with this verse the psalmist is trying to tell us to think in terms of abundance in the face of lack. In other words, to know that you have more than enough going for you even if your situation says otherwise. The power doesn't lie in the enemy you face. It lies in how you face your enemy. Say you've been turned down for a job you really wanted because you're under qualified. You can look at it as yet another rejection, or you can see it as putting you a step closer to your perfect position.
2. When is the last time you were honored by someone? I'm not talking about receiving an award or anything. I mean just being truly affirmed and appreciated. That long, huh? LOL! Well here's a golden nugget from this verse that really boosted my confidence. Just as a shepherd pours oil on his sheep's head to keep bugs from irritating or infecting them, God will do the same for you. Facing negativity in any form is not always easy, and the forces behind it can be as annoying as a swarm of gnats. But consider this. To be anointed means to be chosen by "divine election." That means that no matter what comes at you, you've already been "elected" by God as the winner.
3. You're not waiting for abundance to strike. You already possess it! Jesus said, "Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." (Luke 12:15 MSG). Remember, PERCEPTION is the name of the game. Here's an awkward but very apt example of this. Kanye West and Donald Trump are two names that are trending high in the media right now because of their outrageous self-promoting antics. While I don't condone their egomaniacal ways, it's hard to miss the fact that because of the way they perceive themselves, they act with great confidence and it's getting them results. Yes, you should be humble, not prideful. But being humble does not mean you should ignore or downplay what you've been given to work with. Flip the script and start perceiving yourself through God's eyes, as more than a conqueror, and overflow will begin to manifest all over your life. 

What's the takeaway?

Your battle is fought and won in your HEAD first, not in your heart. Don't let how you feel distort the truth. To live the abundant life, you must revolutionize your thinking. The less garbage you put in, the less you'll get out. Become much more selective about what you lend your brainpower to. 

Action Step

In a recent interview with Vogue magazine, presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton remarked that while she's great at advocating for other people, she's not so good at doing it for herself. But now she perceives herself differently than she did a few years ago, and she's better able to give a clear voice to what makes her the best person for President.

If you feel you don't have enough, or you simply aren't enough, I want you to take a bold step. Post a comment on the D-Vine blog page stating a quality (not anything material) that you know you have in abundance. If you want to take it a step further, put that same post on your Facebook or Twitter page with the hashtag #IamenoughME23. I'll start the ball rolling.

I am abundantly gifted at being a great listener

The point is to OWN IT. Make it a practice to perceive your abundance in your everyday life. When you do, you'll transform into the woman you were always meant to be - despite any opposition.

Until next time, BE WHO YOU ARE AND LOVE IT!

Go Ahead, Ask!

Just a little booster this week...

There's no shame in needing help with something in your life. Lately, I've talked to several women who seem to be ashamed about needing help in some area of life. They are usually harboring one of three false beliefs:

1. No one wants to help me.
2. No one should have to help me.
3. No one can help me.

If someone has made you feel too ashamed to ask for what you need, then that person is/was not mature enough to meet the need in the first place. Switch lanes and continue moving forward.

The Truth...

We ALL need help from time to time. Don't assume that no one wants to help you or that no one can. We were all born with something to give to others. What you don't have, I might have. What I don't have, you might. It's just a matter of being divinely connected with the right person or persons. 

This is right up God's alley! If you let Him, He will guide you into these connections at just the right time. It has happened for me on several occasions. I know it will happen for you. So open up your mouth, ask for what you need (I mean REALLY need), and be prepared to receive it.

Let me know when you get it!

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

Matthew 7:7

Beginning Again

Well, I'm back on the trail to better health and fitness. To kick off my NEW beginning today, I was inspired to post this short video. It's a means of accountability for me as I set my efforts and intentions toward achieving my goal weight of 135 pounds before my 50th birthday on November 21, 2016. I've got 17 months to get it done. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I'll get there!

If you've got some "extra baggage" of your own, be it pounds, negativity, bad habits, etc., I invite you to join me on the journey toward being our BEST selves.

Roll Away the Stone

I'm always amazed at the tapestry of humanity. Each of us enters this world specifically blueprinted with the solution to someone else's problem. The trick is to get us to realize it. And that's really not hard to do. Just open your eyes.

To illustrate this point, I'd like to put a spin on a familiar bible story. Remember when Jesus arrived at the tomb of his good friend, Lazarus, amidst a throng of mourners and wailers?

John 11:38-39

³⁸Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹"Take away the stone," he said.

Isn't it interesting that with all the power He was just about to display, Jesus told someone else to roll away the stone for Lazarus? I think that this points to the possibility that God fully intends for us, in some way, to be an active agent in one another's miracles. He doesn't expect us to do what only He can do, but He does expect us to desire a stake in the outcome.

How often do we cheat one another out of a possible breakthrough just because we're focused more on what we can't do than what we can do? Better yet, who is it that may be holding the key to your turnaround, and instead of just trusting God with what they have to offer, they remain content on the outskirts of your situation?

Thank God for those who take the blind leap into obedience and trust. They are the ones who have the awesome honor of taking part in the greatest miracles! I challenge you today to take a fresh look at the people you're connected with right now and do an inventory of the needs they have. Don't just pray for them; seek an answer. Then take the next step and ask God what He wants you to do to roll away their stone. Don't worry. He'll never ask you to roll a stone that is stronger than you are. You'll be surprised at what you suddenly become aware of that's already at your disposal. Sometimes what we consider trivial or inadequate is just the thing someone else may need at that time.

John 11: 41-44

⁴¹So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

⁴³When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."