Doo da Doctor

This morning I had the pleasure of visiting a dermatologist.  My general doctor sent me there due to some moles on my back (ew...I know).  I waited 45 minutes to be seen for approximately 3 minutes, if that.  He looked at the suspicious spots, said they are nothing to worry about, and off I went.  I did mention that the skin on my eyelids is becoming red and itchy now that I am training for the marathon (ie: sweating profusely).  With a causal glance, he said, "that's a bit of eczema, we'll give you some cream."  I attempted to engage the man in some conversation and to ask some questions, but he was finished, and off to the next room.

As I sat in the waiting room, I noticed I was the youngest person in there by about 20 years.  That's different, but I was there early in the day, a time younger folks are in school and moms are taking kids to school.  But then I wondered why that type of clientele had chosen the doctor who rushes people out the door.  Insurance limitations?  Referrals from their doctors and they didn't argue?  I do not know. 

What I do know is that I am tired of doctors who cram as many people as possible into their schedule, yet fail to really listen to their patients.  Last time I checked, without positive interactions with patients, and without their references, a doctor really isn't needed.  No patients = no work.  To many patients = poor work.  It wears me out that so few doctors truly listen to their patients, take their time with them, and actually do a thorough job.  I have freckles, lots of them, and all he did was glance at my arms.  Hmmm, "Houston, we have a problem."  When I return to a dermatologist I believe I will find someone who will take at least 10 minutes with me (it seems only fair since I have waited at least 30 for them), and more if necessary.  I am afraid, my friends, that customer service is a dying service in our country.  A doctor who appears too busy for patients.  Wow.

Blind Sacrifice

There are days I find it odd how thoughts weave in and out of my mind.  There are moments that the given circumstance in no way relates to the thoughts coursing through my brain, but, there they are for my mind to take hold of.  Today I was driving home from the gym and I thought of this blog, more specifically, of my blog's title "Chasing the Divine."  I laughed to myself as I thought, "you are not chasing anything but your own self."  And I pondered what was missing and where I was missing the mark.  The real answer is: too many places to nail down in one short drive home.  What caught my attention was the lack of time I spend reading the Bible.  "My people will know me," God says.  I believe, I pray, I seek, but I do not read, not consistently.  It seems I have always fallen short in this area.  I do not want to read because it is simply part of a study I am doing, I do not want to read because I think I should, I want to read because I want to read.  "Draw me in Lord, draw me close, and speak to me through your Word" I prayed, "make me passionate for your Word."  Then one word popped into my head, "Malachi."  I can honestly tell you that was by no doing of my own, but a prompting of the Spirit telling me to sit and read the book of Malachi.  So I came home, and I did.

Gulp.  Time to get real, and take the conviction that pressed in.  Yet, I find it rather lovely that God cares so much for me that He will direct me to the places I am falling short, that He desires more for and from me.  That is my Father's heart.

Although I read all four chapters, what I needed was in chapter one:
Malachi 1:7-11 (New International Version)

7 "You place defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'  "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. 8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.
9 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"-says the LORD Almighty.


10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands.
11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.

Verse 7 had me wincing in the realization that I, more often than not, do not give my best to God.  I talk about it, I know it is what I should do, but it is not what I do.  I am working in my own will, with my own strength, not seeking, not asking, not glorifying the One who is responsible for every need in my life being met.  Every moment in life, good or bad, is better with God in the center of it.  I have firsthand knowledge in this, and know it to be true.  Yet I currently find myself running through each day, sometimes stressed, sometimes laughing, but always feeling as if something were missing.  Only God.  That's all.  No big deal (insert extremely sarcastic laughter here).

In that moment of conviction, as I continued reading, my eyes fell upon verse 11.  Reassurance.  Hope.  Redemption.  My Father's love and mercy.  My Father's promise.  It will be worth it.  "Bring me your best, all of it, and lay it at my feet.  You do not need the burden, the stress, the angst, nothing is too big or too small for me.  But you must hand it over.  I have created you and know you, and I will care for you."

There it was, there it is.  The missing piece that I knew all along yet had been avoiding.  I want to think I am doing ok, that I have things going just as they should be.  But I don't.  I can't.  And it will never be as good without my heavenly Father involved.  If I am going to continue writing on this blog entitled "Chasing the Divine," I am certain I should be doing just that.

Do the Unexpected

I was speaking to a friend yesterday about our moving experience.  Within three months of placing our house on the market, it sold, enabling us to head west.  Our move happened the week of Thanksgiving, and with everyone running in various directions, and a list a mile long of tasks that needed to be accomplished, we tended to become slightly overwhelmed.  In addition to the packing, loading, and cleaning that needed our attention, there were also people we wanted to see, necks to be hugged, and thank-yous to be spoken.  In order to do everything, we chose to have an open house allowing people to come and go as they pleased and to come enjoy some fellowship with us.  It was a grand idea, and we had a ball doing it. 

One small problem arose during this time however.  Two friendsAlly and Erica asked me when I would be packing up our kitchen as we would be loading boxes onto a truck two days later.  "Don't worry, I'm good under pressure," was my only response.  And I am.  I really am.  But leaving behind a place that was so dear was more difficult than I thought it would be, even if the place we were going to had my family waiting for us. 

In an effort to assist me and ensure all tasks were accomplished, Ally and Erica arrived the next day ready to pack up the kitchen.  I had lost my drive it seemed, and they picked up the slack, my slack.  A few friends who had missed the previous day's party opted to drop by for one last good-bye.  I sat and chatted and laughed, while Ally and Erica plugged away in my kitchen.  I would hear them laughing every now and then, but when I went in to try to wrap a dish, pack something, or tape a box, all I heard was, "We got this, get out of here and enjoy your time."  And I did, and I was thankful they were so gracious.

The move went smoothly, our belongings arrived (mostly in one piece), and I got to the chore of unpacking.  When I came upon the boxes containing our kitchen items, I found myself smiling as I thought of my two friends who so willingly packed things up for us.  I opened the boxes and as I pulled items from the box, I found small notes written on the packing paper.  "We miss you!"  "We love you!"  Never before have I so completely enjoyed unpacking a room before.  I sped through the job only because I was so curious as to what notes awaited me.  I smiled at each one throughout my time spent unpacking.  What a wonderful way to display their hearts.  Not only did they carry the burden of packing for me, but they went a step further and did something I never would have expected.  They took the time to remind me that I had been in that place, at that time, for a specific purpose.  With each note scribbled, they reminded me that crossed paths are always purposeful, and meaningful.  And they reminded me that investing in other people, serving others willingly and openly, will always bear fruit and bring blessings.  They showed me that doing the unexpected can lead to more than we could ever imagine.





**It is worth noting that items wrapped by Erica and Ally all arrived in one piece. Not one thing those two packed was broken or damaged. Yes, they rock.

Psalm36:9

Psalm36:9
Originally uploaded by chelled.

Psalm 36:9For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

The verses prior are so beautiful, I have to include them:
5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.  O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love!  Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
10 Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.

God is love.  God is life.  I do not think I can expound on the beauty of those two truths anymore than David did in the above psalm.  Blessings.

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Doing what must be done

The alarm was going off, yet not one fiber in my being wanted to rise up out of bed.  I wanted to stay where I was, keep sleeping, lay there staring at the ceiling, anything other than what the alarm was telling me to do, "Get up, you have a workout to do this morning."  When I say I really struggled to get up, I am not saying it in jest.  I mean, I was really wanting to just ignore the alarm and continue on in my peaceful slumber.

Instead, I climbed out of bed, took my morning supplements, and prepared to head to the gym.  Marathon training called for 45 minutes of hill work.  Due to the terrain where I live, or lack thereof, I have to do this workout in a gym, on a treadmill (can you say: boring?).  I began my workout, thankful it did not demand 50 minutes of hills as the last two weeks did, but still wishing I were back in my bed.  Music in place, treadmill program, and off I started.  I debated only doing 30 minutes, or even 35, anything but the predetermined 45 minutes.  When my workout was done, all 45 minutes were completed, and though they were not accomplished with a cheerful heart, they were in fact completed.

There are days it is just harder to convince myself to do what must be done.  Let's be honest.  We all have times that we want to be lazy, and sit and whine, just a tad, about how we have to work sooooo hard to get where we want to be.  We want things to be a wee bit easier, and we would like our goals to be more firmly in our grasps.  There are days we have to choose to keep going rather than quit, to get going rather than to stay put. 

Life is a series of choices.  Your choices will either enhance or hinder your life, make it more beautiful and worthwhile, or leave it sitting in hopelessness.  What is it you want in life?  What are you doing to achieve it?  Nothing "just happens" to us, every moment is built upon a previous decision.  Some choices will be difficult, and will require every bit of strength we can muster.  What we then must determine is whether or not our given focus is worth it.  On a simpler level, we must decide whether or not we, ourselves, are worth the effort.

I believe I am worth it.  I believe you are worth it.  We were each created with a unique set of gifts and abilities this world needs.  I am better because of the people in my life, and if they chose to not use their gifts or share them with me, then my life would be lacking.  There are days we will not see the fruits of our labors immediately, but we can still choose to do what must be done.  We will reap the harvest in due time.  As I have seen, staying right where we are will never get us very far.

Get a Road ID!

I just ordered one of the best products ever. It's called a Road ID - perhaps you've heard of it. If you haven't, go to their website and check it out. Road ID is a great product that could save your life someday.  I ordered the one that attaches to a shoe, but they also make bracelets.

When I ordered, they gave me a coupon that I could pass along to my friends. Here's the coupon number:
Coupon Number: ThanksJMichelle827804

The coupon is good for $1 off any Road ID order placed by 09/23/2010. To order, simply go to RoadID.com or click the link below:
http://www.RoadID.com/?CID=ThanksJMichelle827804

If you prefer, you can call them at 800-345-6335.

You can thank me later,

Who does that?

Did I mention I won the lottery?  It all started with a decision to join a friend in training for a marathon.  Due to the limited number of participants as well as the number of people who tried to register laste year, the entries were done on a lottery based system.  However, teams could be created so that if one person was chose, everyone was.  Lisa and I forged ahead, creating our team "Emergency Procedure," and waited for the results.  What do you know.  We won.  Leave it to the two of us to win the one lottery that involves not one red cent, but 26.2 miles instead.  Welcome to my world folks.

Lisa is training with a group in Houston, where she lives, and was nice enough to send me the site information with the training schedules.  I picked my poison of choice and have actually been enjoying it thus far.  This past Saturday called for a 7 mile run which had me going to http://www.mapmyrun.com/ (which I highly recommend) in order to find a route.  I found one that suited my needs even if I did have to change a few parts of it due to my starting point. 

Saturday morning I woke up to my alarm going off and the "what in the world?  what is happening?  why is that going off?" line of thinking.  I was out the door by 6am (on a Saturday, I know, such things should be illegal I am sure) and set out on my little adventure.  All went well but when I arrived home I looked at my time and thought, "either I went farther than I should have or I am a lot slower than I thought, or maybe both."  I pulled up http://www.mapmyrun.com/ again, logged my route, and lo and behold, I had accomplished 8, not 7 miles.  I cannot lie, that little fact made me feel much better about myself.  Whew, not as slow as I thought, and doing much better than I thought.  Let us do a happy dance in excitement.  Lisa conquered her miles, onward we go, our lotto winning selves, preparing for this 26.2 mile journey.  And I will, from this moment forward, I will double check my route so as to not go farther than need be.  No one wants to do that you know.

Apology

Dear blog,
Oh me oh my, you have been so neglected as of late.  You have this beautiful new design, it's truly beautiful and a feast for the eyes.  However, I have been failing to utilize your amazingness as of late.  I do apologize.  Inspiration comes while I am outside running, unfortunately, the time to sit down and right is not as available as it was before.  I will work on this, I promise.  You have not been forgotten.  Please forgive me.

WFW

Flower& Verse
Originally uploaded by chelled.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Such a simple statement, and yet so powerful. The world formed because of the mighty hand of God. Everything we see, God has created. Isn't that amazing? He didn't need a committee, didn't need to meet with department heads; the God of the universe breathed life, and so it was, and is.

He purposefully chose where mountains, valleys, lakes, and oceans should go. Then, he decorated the earth with trees, flowers, plants, and animals. As if the world was not incredible enough, He then chose to create and breathe life into man.

We have been created, incredibly and wonderfully, by the same God who created the heavens and earth. We should not fear, should not doubt, should never think we are anything less than His. He loves us, deeply. He loves us enough to have created beauty in its simplest form. Enjoy it, breathe it in. Feel the warmth of the sun's heat, smell the aroma of the flowers, gaze upward as the sun sets in the sky. Look around, He is whispering, "Child, see how much I love you? This is created for you. Don't you see me in it? My glory is on display!"

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Skunks on a run

Every morning I go running, early.  There are mornings I return home before the sun has begun its morning rise.  I do not particularly enjoy waking so early, but in order to accomplish what I need to accomplish, it is the choice I make each day.  Running in the wee hours of morning can be a comical adventure with shadows dancing all around and dogs barking their hellos.  I have even jumped at what was actually my own shadow.  It is true.  But the morning sky is still dark, the city is still quiet, and most are only beginning to rise from their peaceful night's slumber.

The route I typically choose takes me by a park and elementary school.  There are typically a few others out jogging or walking, but not many.  There is a man made lake (if we can even call it a lake, it is a body of water regardless) complete with ducks waddling and swimming about.  Along with the ducks are sometimes two skunks.  Each time I have seen them, they have been in the same place, in the drainage area leading out to the road.  Let me be honest with you, skunks in the wee hours of the morning are infintely more frightening than my own shadow. 

This morning, I did not notice them on the first half of my run, but as I returned home, I noticed the two bodies near the water with stripes down their backs.  Every now and then they raise up and seem to be taking a defensive posture.  I have no desire to engage in any kind of war, confrontation, or conversation with Stinky 1 and Stinky 2, so I quicken my pace to the opposite side of the road.  Sometimes images of me being chased by the stinky duo enter my head.  In my scenario they run backwards so as to be more precise when they open fire on me.  In my mind, they are very fast, even in reverse. 

This morning I safely went by them, only wearing my own stench (I was running after all) and pondered the skunks in my life.  Yep, I have them sprinkled throughout each day.  Living, breathing beings who are not pleasant to be around and who do their best to stink up the lives of everyone around them.  They are defensive and will aim and fire their negativity in a heartbeat.  And they do, and they are miserable, and they want company.  What I am learning is that I can divert my own path so as to not collide with them.  I can alter my own course, knowing full well my goal will still be obtained, in order to avoid filling my life with their stench.

Although I fully believe every person has the ability to change, I am finding that some simply do not want to.  They would rather moan and groan and "woe is me" rather than taking the initiative to improve their own lives.  It is easier for them to make excuses rather than solutions, and they cannot seem to function outside of their own misery.  I am happy, and more than willing, to show them direction and to speak hope.  I enjoy sharing with them the opportunities that lie ahead of them if only they will do the work.  Some rise up, clean themselves off, and change the course of their lives.  Some however, do not.  There are some we must simply move away from if we want our lives to be filled with the aromas of hope, joy, and life.

The voices in your head

Thanks to a dear friend of mine and her decision to do a full marathon, I am now in training for the same event. I know, I know, many times before I have proclaimed I would not do these kinds of events again. I can hear my own voice saying it, can read the blog proclaiming it. The word never was used, repeatedly. Yet, here I am, in training for a full marathon which will take place in January.

There are multiple reasons I have decided to partake in this insanity, I mean, adventure, but that is for another day. What I have realized, as I am training, is that there are still some wretched, negative voices trying to be heard within my own mind. I have written before concerning previous coaches who were anything but kind to me. For whatever reason, that has been the "thorn in my flesh" throughout my life: negative words from others. As I have gotten older, I know those words do not ring true. I know that God is who He says He is, and I am who He claims I am: an heir to the king, beautifully and wonderfully made, etc. I know that, but I do not always live like that. When I take on the task of training for things such as a marathon, those negative voices begin to call out to me. As I was running the other morning, some began to speak, and it made me wonder what voices others listen to, and what impact my voice has on others.

Our words can bring life, or death. Sometimes we speak so flippantly that I do not think we realize the harm we can do to one another. In fact, I assure you that comments which came from my mouth as a young coach and teacher were less than positive. Even as I type that, I cringe at the thought of words I spoke. We often speak of "paying it forward," but what we do not often realize is that the negative is paid forward as well as the positive. I am thankful I have had the opportunity to ask forgiveness to most of those individuals, yet I am left to wonder how things may have changed had I never spoken those negative words to begin with.

As a personal trainer and AdvoCare distributor, the part I like best is challenging negative thinking. I watch people do what they thought was not possible, and achieve health they believed was just out of reach. If I were to support their negative words, the results would be drastically different, and their health would decline, that I am sure of. However, by not allowing the words to be said, cutting off the words that destroy, goals are reached.

At this point, I am now being challenged with doing the same for my own self. Cut off the negative thoughs, believe in the positive and move forward. Laugh at the voices that proclaim I can't as I am finishing long runs and building our AdvoCare team. The voices in my head, the ones who speak death are being silenced and pushed out. Slowly but surely, I am living out my calling, with confidence and clarity. That, my friends, is also my prayer for you. As you walk through this life, as doubts enter your mind, remind yourself that you are capable of reaching your goals, you are worth the efforts you put forth, and that every tool you need to achieve all of that and more have already been instilled in you, or will be found along your path just when you need them.

Listen....

Buy it here.

Yesterday, I completed Rene Gutteridge's book, Listen.  We will be discussing this book at our women's retreat in the fall, and a friend was nice enough to loan me her copy of the book.  All I can say is, this is a "kid, I know you are two but fix your own meal; honey, just pretend I am not here; no, I cannot take your call or speak to you right now" kind of a book.  It.is.good.  Let's start with a blurb from the book:

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2010 - Fiction

Nothing ever happens in the small town of Marlo . . . until the residents begin seeing their private conversations posted online for everyone to read. Then it's neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, as paranoia and violence escalate. The police scramble to identify the person responsible for the posts and pull the plug on the Website before it destroys the town. But what responsibility do the people of the town have for the words they say when they think no one is listening? Life and death are in the power of the tongue.

Anytime I am speaking to someone, I think of this book, and how my words are coming across, could be interpreted, and if they are damaging.  I do not find that to be a negative thing either, convicting, yes, but not bad at all.  It is helping me keep in the forefront of my mind that the tongue is powerful, that the words we speak are powerful, and that we are called to righteousness.  This book will rock your world, that I promise you.  I will confess that I had the mystery figured out relatively early, but even still, I could not, in fact, did not, want to put this book down. 

If you are part of a book club, small group, or enjoy reading books and discussing them with others, this book is the one to choose.  I am now even more excited for the discussion coming later this fall.

Were you listening?

I am reading through Dale Carnegie's book, How to Win Friends and Influence People.  Much of it is pretty basic, and seems like common sense.  Although, I often find myself saying "ohhhh, that's good" with a point he makes, something I know I should be practicing but do not.  One challenge, if you will, Carnegie makes it so use people's names.  Why?  We like to hear our own names.  We want to feel like we are known, and important, to someone.  As I go throughout my day, I am trying more and more to implement this technique.  It works rather well, until I call the doctor's office anyway.

Each time I have called to make an appointment, the person on the other line speaks so quickly I do not catch the name given.  Once, I was corrected because the name I spoke was evidently not the name of the person I was speaking to.  So much for the "make up one if you didn't catch it" technique.  (I think Carnegie just groaned from the other side.)  I am working on this, I am, but it is becoming more and more evident what a poor listener I am.

Let me be honest, I am usually in the middle of a household chore, or even changing my child's diaper when I make these calls.  A million things are running through my head, colliding and fighting for the front row position, and I have a to do list to cross off!  Alas, those are all merely excuses for poor behavior and even worse listening. 

It does not take much to stop, for just a moment, and pay attention to the person on the other end of the line, or the one standing in front of you.  Smile while you speak, and wait for them to complete their sentence before saying what you have to say.  You may find, as I often do, the thoughts in your head that you proclaim are so imporant begin to wander away as you focus on the other person.  I nod, I smile, I laugh, I do whatever it takes to block out everything but that person.  In the rare moments I am doing this well, incredible conversations occur.  And you know what?  My voice isn't the one that can be heard.  I believe I like that.

Train yourselves to listen, and listen well.  And when you do speak, use the name of the person to whom you are speaking, I even suggest using the correct name. 

Speak life

There are many variables that drew me into AdvoCare.  Yes, we have a top notch Sci/Med board, incredible endorsers, and so on and so on.  The products are beyond compare, the business opportunity is second to none; it's all true.  Do you know what I like the best though?  What drives me to continue on?  It is the opportunity to speak life to someone else.  This has happened repeatedly, and each time as the sound of negativity rings out, I sit there and smile, knowing I have what will be a life changing opportunity for the person in front of me.

On multiple occassions, I have begun asking various questions.  What do you want in life?  Are you really happy?  If you could have your life going the direction you wanted, what would it look like?  And then I sit, and I listen.  I watch.  I follow their gaze, I journey with them into their stories.  More than once, the person I am listening to is fighting back tears, more often than not they need someone to believe in them.  I.love.that. 

During a mixer last night, a woman present repeatedly commented on her weight, stating, "well, let's be honest here."  She knows a problem exists, and that is good.  But after a few comments, I stopped her.  I told her the power of her words could be more damaging than any food on the planet.  I told her, in my opinion, she needed to begin speaking kindly to herself and then take each day one step at a time.  As I explained to her, "Even God took 6 days to complete the task of creating the world and galaxies, and He also rested on the 7th day.  You might want to take that approach."  I shared with her that I firmly believe AdvoCare will help her meet her goals, but to not expect everything to occur over night.  We are going to focus on one task at a time, and keep moving forward.  In addition, only positive words were to be spoken, about herself and others.  From here on out, we are going to only speak life. 

As she was leaving, she asked when our next mixer would be because she knew others who would be interested.  I laughed, rather hard, and replied, "Since you are clearly already starting to build a business, let's work on you hosting the mixer, getting them to your house, and I will come do the presentation for you.  That way, you see the rewards."  She is a champion, someone who has given to others, but now is the time she take control of her life for her.  Continue to serve, continue to help, but I will not allow her to set herself or her life aside.  As I walk through this journey beside her, I know (even if she does not at this moment) that this is only the beginning of something very wonderful. 

Speak life friends, in whatever conversation you are having; it will be a life changing moment for the person beside you.