Ever catch a word nudging its way into your every day, kinda doing my thing. minding my business way? It all started with a simple three letter word.
At a business meeting I was attending, I had been in the process of passing on some possible business, opportunities in order to pursue a a year long, three day a week, venture that would defintely take me outside of my comfort zone and into an arena I hadn’t been in before. Naturally after accepting the proposal, I began questioning the decision. Asking myself questions like “Why now at this point of time?” ‘Why take a risk knowing what I do?” “Why invest in something that will only last 12 months?” The speaker at this point in time referenced and highly recommended the book “Find Your Why” by Simon Sinek. I ordered it that day, got it two days later and moved it straight to the top of my reading list!
Not even four days later, at another meeting, a career military guy shared a simple message and how his journey with the title of his talk had deepened his understanding of service, sacrifice and giving. The title of his talk? “Know Your Why”
The next morning, everything just spiraled together as words I read in Romans 15:20 seemed to scream at me “it has always been my ambition” (Know your purpose. Know your why!) “don’t build on someone else’s foundation” (Establish your own), and again in Romans 25:1 “so that those who haven’t been told and haven’t heard would understand” (leaving the Familiar to go out to the Unfamiliar). I was all ears!
There it was. A difinitive call to edge out into the waters of the unknown. No more “whys?” were necessary! This 12 month commitment would became my next place to “cast my shadow”. (Cast Your Shadow, Influence on Purpose by Quin Sherrer).
Then as I finished reading, this one line in Romans 15:23 seemed to summarize it all: “but now there is no longer a place to work in this region and since I have been longing for many years to visit you. I plan to do so … ”
Know when your assignment is finished. Know when it is time to move on. And don’t forget to finish well before you go!
Back on Easter week, I felt the umption to pray about the intentionality of Jesus’ steps as He walked to the cross – with me, and you on His mind. His steps purposeful for my redemption, trading His life for mine. I quietly spoke these words from my heart “May my steps through life, be as intentional as your’s Jesus, ever directed by the Holy Spirit, for your Father’s glory.”
The following Thursday, my man and I went for a ride out to O.O. Denny Park, on Lake Washington, affectionately dubbed as “our” park. As we got out of the car, I shot up an arrow prayer asking for the Lord to speak to us in the quietness of nature, in the beauty of His creation. Sitting on “our bench” not talking, breathing n the stillness of where we were, we saw a “huddle” of ducks begin to go by. One duck obviously leading the group, until one by one they began to form a single line as they moved toward another “huddle” some distance away. a whisper went through my mind “Get your ducks in a row.” I laughed out loud and told Russ, who also laughed, as we continued watching the ducks all connect, form a big huddle and drift off out of sight to an unknown destination.
The next day we ventured up to Mount Vernon to go see the tulip fields of Washington in all their beauty. The colors truly stunning as acres and acres of tulips and daffodils showed out in a display brighter than any rainbow. The fields we visited, advised in signage, that they were only at 50% bloom. Another field we drove by was so busy, cars lined up to get in, people all over the place, the field signage indicating they were 100% in bloom. I’m glad we went to the 50% bloom fields. It gave us time to walk slowly, not be rushed along by the crowd, enjoy the time in the sunshine, as we admired the intricacies of the tulip centers, the colors ‘painted’ within, hidden from sight until in full bloom. How much like us, I thought.
When I looked at the photos I’d taken I noticed everyone of them entailed the STRAIGHT ROWS of thousands of bulbs that had been planted. Same with the daffodil fields – their bright yellow seen from afar, as they stretched for miles – all in straight rows, carefully planted so as to not impede the growth of each and every plant.
Then a few days later, as I listened to my man share something he was reading, it all just came together. “I run STRAIGHT to the goal with PURPOSE in EVERY STEP” (1 Corinthians 9:26). As we run the race of life, our competition is not with other believers, the goal is not to out run someone else, but the wicked influences that could bring us down. Run the race God has called you to – don’t concern yourself with who is behind you or who is ahead of you! Stay in your assigned lane, do what Jesus has told you to do and run your race to win.”
My Tuesday prayer about intentional steps, watching ducks go from a huddle to an orderly row, the whisper that followed, the thousands and thousands of tulips and daffodils all in their straight rows for as far as the eye could see. All playing a part in my ordinary days, yet speaking loudly now, about what I needed to hear. May I always run my race, under the covering of Your wing, arrayed in the beauty of Your righteousness and grace.
Dory Wisdom Insight #3 âLife is full of surprises, so hang in there!â
I told my husband and daughters I have this thing about older men! Hahaha â Surrrr-Prise!! You should have seen their faces!! I hastily explained I was writing about businessmen who have left a trail for others to follow with their words of guidance and encouragement, both spoken and written.
Some time ago, I wrote in my blog titled “Benched” about an older man I know who has lived a life full of surprises, some good, some not so good, and others inbetween, who makes it a daily event to enjoy life! Even now after being ill for nearly two months and recently transfered to a transitional care unit with the hope of regaining enough physical ability to go home; he still laughs, make jokes and causes others to smile. That man? My 93 year old dad.
Those older businessmen I was referencing speak and encourage thousands through their books and motivational events. And they too draw from men like themselves. The 76 year old businessman, of world-wide acclaim, John Maxwell has oft quoted Harvey Mackay : âFind something you love to do, and youâll never have to work a day in your life.â Can I introduce you to Harvey Mackay? He is an extensively commended, now 93-year-old motivational speaker and author. You may have even used that quote yourself, and if not thatâs okay, as Harvey sayâs âour lives change in two ways: through the people we meet and the books we read.â
Of the late 79yr old Jim Rohn, entrepreneur, motivational speaker and author, Harvey said âJim is one of the most articulate, powerful, thought-provoking speakers Iâve seen. His unique delivery and style puts him head and shoulders above the rest.â And wasn’t it Harvey who said:âPositive thinking is more than just a tagline. It changes the way we behave. And I firmly believe that when I am positive, it not only makes me better, but it also makes those around me better.â
About six months ago, I got a surprise. Something I was totally not expecting. I questioned it via a phone call, and was told that what I was seeing was indeed correct and the previous verbal commitment was not in play. With that confirmation, after expressing sincere thankfulness, I started thinking of ways to âsurpriseâ others! Isnât it funny how things like that work?
But wait, I digress, this is supposed to be about Dory’s quote… “Life is full of surprises ….”
During a conversation with my then eight-year-old grand-daughter â the one I bought the Dory book for â she expressed concerns about some surprsing changes that had happened in her world. Changes she thought were “stupid and needed to end”. I ended up saying, with as much grandma wisdom as I could muster without laughing, âWell, today is the 292nd day of this “stupid” year and we only have 74 days left till it does end; so let’s try to remember what Dory said.” Her response said with a little shoulder shrug and pitiful sigh, “Okay, Nonni.”
It was Jim Rohn who said: âStart from wherever you are and with whatever you haveâ and “If you donât like how things are, change it, youâre not a tree.â
Wisdom Insight from Dory #2! “Don’t follow the herd! Be cautious, but don’t be afraid to explore.”
As the shifting tide came in, I caught myself standing on the edge of the Virtual River not wanting to jump in with everyone else. Annnd, I have a confession to make, I’m still not sure. I do have business videos personally developed, I do attend virtual trainings, virtual business meetings and I do send text videos.
But.
As a person that likes substance and depth, I’m stuck in the undertow of trying to understand the nuance of ‘stories’. Why, are we given a quick glimpse into another fishbowl, then just like an air bubble, that’s it, it’s gone. Isn’t there more to life than 30-60 second sound bites? In our click happy, filtered, virtual world how does this all work toward making connections? As life changes, we need to find a connection point with the people in our lives, both personal and business. Finding unique ways of doing it is up to us.
What would happen if the next time a telemarketer called, we listened, instead of hanging up. After all, they are just trying to do their job. They have a family to provide for, bills to pay. What if we just listened, told them we appreciated what they do and wished them a successful day. What if? I did.
After she gave me her scripted presentation I told her I while not interested in the product, I did want to give her the courtesy of simply being listened to. Hesitantly she said “For real? You don’t know how very much I appreciate that. Thank you so much. Thank you.”
In a world that’s too quick to move past an interruption, just maybe, you don’t have to follow the herd. Explore your options! Fill them with worthwhile intentions and purpose, then leave a way for others to follow …. all the way to another river! ;-D
Insight #1 -“Never underestimate the value of a good education.”
I confess I am always reading something, which fuels my drive of ‘learning at least one new thing every day.’
At the beginning of the Covid shut down, I decided to make an effort to learn something beyond the daily of what I do in business. Real Estate business had ground to a literal halt, as statewide preventions where put in place. Buyers were not exactly knocking down doors to go see someone’s home and sellers where being exteremely cautious as to who they let in their homes! All very understandable. It had been mentioned to me about a specialty realtor course that I needed to take a look out. And twice, I ignored the suggestion, took another course and carried on! The title of tha particular course gave me the notion I was about to be floated out to the far end of the pond. Especially after being told it could be my ‘niche’. Uhhh, as in “an ornamental recess in a wall” type niche?! Want a word play insight? How easy is it to underestimate one’s value?
Well, here it was again in my inbox. With nothing else clammering for my attention or any prospective clients immediately on the horizan, I decided to jump in and get it over with.
What a good decision! I discovered something I easily related to and enjoyed learning about the simple fact, that at every stage of life, change happens. In real estate, Baby Boomers (56-72yr olds) lead the way, helping the generations ahead of them through lifestyle transitions, while showing the generations following them, the “how to” involved with making those ‘big’ life decisions. Generation to generation learning at its best. Ohhhhh I did pass the course and received my designation as an SRES – Seniors Real Estate Specialist!
Wisdom Bubble: “What we learn, we get to build upon. When we listen, we grow and honor another’s wisdom.” Charlotte Gambill, (Author, Speaker) Church of the Highlands, Alabama.
A number of things are clamoring for my attention this morning. Most importantly my peace, as we move forward from finishing the year long events we had been doing for a Pacific Northwest Airline.
A “Give Him 15” reading by Dutch Sheets made me think of the people – stangers – who I have prayed for, prayed with and prayed over during these past nine months. Some I’ll never know their names, never have an on-going relationship with. But God, He knows the heart behind my prayers just as assuredly He knows their names! How, as I handed out throw blankets when the ac got too cold, straightened jackets and tucked in tags for presentors, loaded and unloaded backpacks and carry ons entrusted to our care, I silently trusted the power of His touch thorough my hands.
For the woman, who was contiously walking the meeting space! That I mentally labelled as an attention seeker, based on the way she was dressed, distracting others present. When I eventually asked about her, I was told her story. She was involved in a really bad fall that had broken her back. She was in continuous pain. A mild form of relief only came after she walked for the first few hours of her day. O Lord, please forgive me. She cried as I spoke with her as she was leaving at the end of the day and readily accepted my prayer for healing relief to be hers. For the woman I noticed crying and went to see if I could help. As she grabbed my hand, she openly shared the news she had just received, that her lifelong best friend was in hospital and was dying. Arrangements were made for her to leave and go be with her friend. For the woman who asked me if she could go to another area to make an important phone call. As I guided her to a private space, she shared her lawyer was in court on her behalf for a “stalking” case. As we walked I prayed silently for her. She later came to thank me for being so accomodating, hugged me and smiling really big said she had won her case. For the woman who came to me for medication for an extreme migraine, admitting it ws so bad that she had fainted the day before. Weeping in pain, she nodded her consent for me to lay my hand gently on her head, pray and speak the name of Jesus over her. After about 20 minutes, she was taken to a nearby medical facility for treatment. For the younger woman, as I gathered her belongings, silently praying she would get home in time to be with her dad in his remaining hours. For the three women, wearing bible verse t.shirts, I encouraged and challenged, them to begin prayer groups in their departments. Just 30 minutes before they started their day. All asked for ‘how to’ details and all said ‘challenge accepted!’ For the woman with a severe stomach ailment, I lead to her a quiet room to rest, then watched her fall asleep, after she agreed for me to pray over her. And for another woman on our team, who after a series of health issues had just begun to put her life back together only to be diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and the need for surgery. Her gratefulness for prayer seen in the tears she cried as she held and squeezed my hands. (Just a month later she returned to the events with an all clear!)
Dutch tells the story of when in Guatemala, he heard of a young girl that had left tied to a tree, deemed to be uncontrollable. He prayed for her, as the Holy Spirit led him. Short story version …. she was set free from what was plaguing her and people who witnessed the change in her gave their lives to Jesus!
He went on to say “There are many wounded and bound individuals tied to trees around the world. YOU work with some, others live across the street, another might sleep under your roof. One of them may have just seated you in a restuarant or served you food. Their chains are alcohol, drugs, abuse, broken dreams, rejection, fatherlessness, sexual perversion, gender confusion, love of money, false religion – you get the point. God wants all them loosed! You know that verse – ‘Pray without ceasing’? This is your how to! Look around you! Be a conduit of His life and touch in the lives of others, wherever you may find yourself.
“The greatest casualty is being fogotten” (Wounded Warrior Project)
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into His harvest field” (Matthew 9:37-38)
My man’s Uncle Art gave us a ‘treasure’ from his house the very last time we were in Michigan. He had taken me around the house, showing me things, telling me to pick something out. After pointing out a few items, and being told nope that belongs to so-and-so, I finally said “I’ll tell you what, Uncle Art, why don’t you pick for me, it will be more meaningful that way.” He walked off and five minutes later, came back and handed me the figurine of an Indidan war horse. In his travels, after Aunt Rita passed away, he had found this ‘treasure’ in Arizona. It didn’t fit with any of the other house decor and to this day, I don’t know where he had it stashed! So following in his footsteps, I didn’t put it out anywhere either. That was until this last move to Tennessee. I used it as a book end on the half filled bookshelf opposite my desk. Perfect!
A few days later, as I was at my desk, I glanced up and my eyes fell on the war horse. As I looked a it this thought flitted through my mind “Is that who you see me as, Lord? A war horse? Is that why I felt the urging to rejoin that online prayer group?” As I sat still, I began thinking about a movie that is actually called “War Horse” and one scene in particular.
A division of English soldiers have been in the thick of battle facing a German division. In a lull in the fighting, a horse who has lost his rider, wander’s into the space between the two division’s – no man’s land – and becomes entangled in the barbed wire. A German soldier walk’s out to retrieve the horse, as an English soldier recognize’s the horse. It was his! Before he had enlisted, the soldier’s father had sold his horse against his wishes to the army war effort. Not to be without his horse, he too enlisted in the war effort. And on a battlefield in France they were reunited. As the two men walked toward the horse, one to steal it away, the other reclaim what was his. The Englishman spoke and the horse responded. In spite of all the sounds of battle and a thousand other voices, the horse knew the sound of his master’s voice. War Horse. A spiritual position? As I ‘war’ on behalf of those that come into my life, in my place of serving.
Could I find others that I could join ranks with, as they “rescue those being led away to death, hold back those stumbling to slaughter” (Proverbs 24:11). I knew I needed to find a man that I only knew by his first name! In the second church service of 800-1000 people, that shouldnt be a problem, right!? This man had prayed for my man and I as I shared that I had been told my dad, in Australia, was fading from this life. I had only seen this man once since that time. We were leaving a service, and I was able to let him know my dad made it home to be with Jesus.
Here it was, three months later as my man and I were preparing to leave on a week long trip to Mississippi, that I knew I needed to find him and guess what? There he was! Sitting right inside the entry door, we ‘happened’ to walk through! Long story short ….. after a pleasant greeting from Larry (no longer ‘that man that prayed’) I asked him if he was on a prayer team. He responded, a little guardedly, with yes I am, then added, the church’s intercessors team. With a few more back and forth questions and some conversation, he asked me for my contact info to pass on to the team leaders, to set up a meeting for me to join the team!
What an honor it is to be part of this team, that goes to battle on behalf of others.
Standing in the gap (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
Listening to the sound of their Master’s voice (John 10:27).
In a rare moment this morning, I found myself looking at an empty block of time. I was finished prepping a tour of houses for a buyer client, all the paperwork and marketing materials I needed for an open house I was hosting was gathered, printed and sitting in a neat pile. So how did I get this extra time on my hands, what did I miss? After a few minutes of rechecking everything I thought ⌠well now Ava, way to win the day! Ha!
That thought was immediately followed by another âŚ.. didnât I write a blog about that somewhere? Winning the day? No, wait, it was about running my race! And so the search began, all through my writing folder, back through the titles on here and finally across my social media pages. There it was! As I re-read the impressive account of eight running women, I thought maybe someone needs to hear this today. Enjoy! đ
In âWin the Dayâ by Mark Batterson wrote he wrote about a group of Tarahumara women and a race they ran. Batterson writes: In 1867 eight Tarahumara women, of the Sierra Madre region of northern Mexico, competed in a 100 mile race. The winner finished in 13 hours 25 minutes. Even more impressive? One of the women who finished the race had given birth ten days earlier! The ârunning peopleâ as they were originally known literally ran down the wild animals they hunted for food. They practiced what was known as âpersistence hunting.â (Look up the history on these people! Amazing!)
It really made me think about the tag line on one of my social media accounts: Walking in grace, running my race, doing life one day at a time. What if I paid more attention to the ârunning my raceâ portion of that line and ran it with Tarahumara-like persistence? What would that look like if it wasnât so much about the what, but who?
Running with other women, who cheer me on as I go the distance every day. Women with similar goals and dreams, who run ahead of me, laying out a path for me to follow in. Running with women who let me know when Iâm out of my lane. Women who come up alongside me, stepping steadily with me, increasing the pace with every stride, stifling any loss of forward momentum. Running for the other women who run behind me, showing them how to endure in running the race, long after I have crossed the finish line. Just like those eight Tarahumara women.
Itâs called âthe survival of the persistent.â (Hebrews 12:1-2) Cheers to you my running partners, letâs run well, the finish line waits!
There it was. Fog. Those thick clouds filled with tiny water droplets, suspended in the atmosphere near the earthâs surface, that restrict visibility down to nothing, blindingly so.
The day we visited Deception Pass, smoke from wild fires burning across two states and from our neighbor to the north, found us in an almost ethereal place. Wedged between the elements of the heavens and the earth.
Looking out across the bay, was like watching the back drop on a stage change from one scene to the next. As smoke and fog merged, the sky became a muted, non defined color and seeing beyond it was impossible. In my mind, I knew what I was looking for – a strait of water separating two islands – but my eyes just couldnât see it.
According to history, this was a hard area for explorers to find and map until June 1792. They encountered dramatic tidal flows and whirlpools, and many wrong turns before finding the inlet now known as Skagit Bay. The area also become infamous for its human smuggling of migrant Chinese people for local labor in the 1880s.
As I took the photo above, just for moment I âsawâ those early explorers and Chinese migrants. They didnât know what lay ahead of them, they couldnât see where they were going. Explorers lost their lives, boats were wrecked, some turned back, others kept pushing ahead until they found what they were searching for. Some Chinese migrants never saw the place they were being taken to, others were pushed through at the hands of other men to labor and live and pass on a story.
Life has a way of throwing us âdeception passâ moments. Sometimes all you can do is keep pushing through, keep looking beyond the âhazeâ.
Then, one day it will clear and you will see what you have always known was there.
Deception Pass, WA
(1 Corinthians 13:12. The Message Paraphrase) âWe donât yet see things clearly. Weâre squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it wonât be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! Weâll see it all then, see it as clearly as God sees us, knowing Him directly just as He knows us.â
Lifeâs journey will bring us all to this place – eventually. A place of being “benched” either by unexpected circumstances, physical/mental health issues or just simply being sidelined by life in general. Being benched is a place of reckoning. It’s in this place, you will determine to either stay in the game or on the bench. Your mindset, your strength of heart and the people you surround yourself with will aid you in that determination.
With almost 90 years under his belt, this photo of my Dad taken last year, warms my heart and makes me smile for so many reasons.
It wasnât until I had gone on âwalkaboutâ (to coin a good ol’ Aussie phrase) for a number of years, fought my way out of some hard knock alleys and dead ends, that I eventually came face to face with myself. It all started with a letter that I wrote my dad in my late twenties. Seeking to set things right and find a way back to moving forward.
We exchanged letters and phone calls for a number of years, me truly learning about this man. Eventually understanding and letting go of what had been and what would never be again. Fourteen years of talking and writing between Australia and the USA. Then came that day. It was one of those airport reunions, where as others hurried by oblivious of anything but their next connection, my Dad and I came face to face. Holding back our tears, we fell into a fierce hug. My love for this man, my dad, is deep and will last a lifetime, his and mine.
It was in his time with me that I saw the depth of my dad’s passion to serve and care for those with physical limitations, as he took care of my second Mom. I witnessed the strength of their love for each other in the smiles, the gentle touches, the tears and especially in the laughter. Like the time I was helping Dad get Elaine into the back seat of our van so we could go out. Dad had lifted Elaine out of her wheelchair and was halfway in the van with her on the back bench seat. He instructed me on how to lift her feet and swing her legs. What I didn’t account for was her weight … or the lack thereof. So when Dad said lift, I did, and he went flying back on the seat with Elaine landing on top of him! I couldn’t believe what I had done! Standing there with my hands over my face, from underneath his wife, I heard my Dad say, “Really Elaine, not here!” We all lost it. When Elaine laughed that sweet soundless laugh, her whole body shook and her face was covered with absolute joy! Elaine though physically “benched” never allowed the illness to steal the joy of the relationship and life she shared with my Dad. After caring for her for seven years, she eventually went home to a far better place and I ached for my dad. After a time, Dad began to share with me of his travels, the golf games he played, the rugby (Go Wales!) and football games he watched. He kept working, wherever he found a need for a first class physical therapist. Five times he said he was going to retire. Five times, he was celebrated and fare-welled. And five times, he returned to the work he loved! I know he just did the retirement thingy for the parties!
A couple of illnesses and a pacemaker in his mid eighties slowed him down. If not for his best friend and companion, dear Rosemary, he would have found ways to keep carrying on! Rosemary seriously deserves a medal. I mean, seriously! While we are giving out medals, lets give one to his doctor too. I mean who schedules a pacemaker battery replacement appointment 10 years out? My dad, that’s who! The doctor said, âBut sir, youâll be in your late nineties at that time.” To which he replied, âI know, I plan to live to 100!â And he probably will. Me too, Dad!
So up above is a picture of my Dad sitting on a bench, learning to regulate his breathing, rest and slow down. You seriously don’t believe that bit about slowing down, do you? Well, truth is, he did.
Until this year, that is, when he discovered motorized scooters and bought two of them! One for home and a light weight one for when he and Rosemary travel. I laughed so hard at the video he sent me of him grinning from ear to ear, doing his royal wave, with the Welsh flag flapping on the back of his new scooter, as he zipped by going a whopping three miles per hour!! LOL
Dad left his motorized scooter behind, a couple of years ago, when he went off on a final grand adventure to join his beloved Elaine in the Lord’s care. While he was a few years shy of his goal of living to100, he was ready to go. Oh Dad, what a journey your life had been. Remember my stating that I want to be just like you when I grow up? Well, guess what? Mission accomplished! I’ve been told quite a few times that I am just like you. I’d say see you soon, but I’m working on that living to 100 thingy! âHonor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.â (Exodus 20:12) ;-D Oh and one more time … I love you so very much.
twowithoneheart 