You're Not Obsolete

Whether you have...

• relocated to a new city or country
• chosen mommy life, currently
• dropped into an unfamiliar demographic
• been overlooked or side-stepped
• found a wrinkle or silver strand
• felt unqualified or disqualified
• blossomed late

Real or imagined, we all may feel a little lost. 

Recently, I felt lost and un-chosen. Rejected. I reached out to a dear friend. For several years she and I have held one another accountable randomly asking the other to spill it! On this occasion I let her know I needed to be transparent so I could move pass the disappointment weighing heavily on my heart. True to her nature, she surveyed the territory, unpacked the equipment and skillfully mined for gold. Her nuggets of wisdom spoke life into my dejected spirit.

There is still a place for your giftings and talents! Rediscovering your passions or reinventing yourself takes you into uncharted waters for your personal growth. Breathe. It will take courage. See with new eyes the creative ways to come alive and give encouragement and share your voice, grace and experience with others! Someone needs YOU.

If this has connected with you, summon your courage to share where you are or how you've come through it. Someone needs YOU.

Bold Confidence

I have learned many things from social media, like America's obsession with cat videos and tips from 3,000 of my closest friends on which restaurant will "change your life." I have seen or read absolutely anything - AN-Y-THING - on social media! Sometimes, that any thing cannot be unseen, if ya know what I mean! <brain scrub>

One thing I have noticed is, late at night or the wee early hours of the morning, people use social media to upload to offload. Facebook and Twitter accounts are stamped with an emoji reflecting how the person feels or a photo will be uploaded to Instagram or Snapchat expressing their current emotion with a supporting #hashtag. It seems as if the person posting sees himself/herself as posting anonymously for a momentary emotional release or offload.

Loneliness settles around a heart and offloads: I want love or someone to love me.
Loss reflects: It's been a year. I miss my mom.
Depression reaches out for hope through a keyboard: Is there anyone who cares?
Anxiety silently uploads a scream: I can't do this, anymore!

Then --for the focus of today's blog-- there are those uploaders who have experienced something which has caused them to question themselves. "Do I have what it takes?" "What was I thinking?" It may have been a conversation that shook their confidence. It may have been a thoughtless comment posted on a thread. Whether or not that comment had ill intent, a message was downloaded as inadequacy into the human spirit and, later, uploaded as "Am I good enough?" 

Dear Midnight Offloader, You are valuable. That idea is a great one! "Every good and perfect gift comes down from God." That dream you're working hard to see to fruition is going to come about. Keep shooting for the stars! You will eventually find someone who shares that calling and the burden of it and is willing to bear the weight with you. This creativity is part of God's DNA and is meant to be developed. It will take work. It may take many attempts to strengthen it. Be tenacious. You will encounter naysayers. who seek to suck the life out of your work and walk away. Be courageous. You will experience loss...multiple times over and for unexplainable reasons. Do not lose heart.  Be strong in the Lord. A payoff is coming! Someone needs your idea. Someone needs you to be their confidence! Someone needs YOU.

REFIT LoveRules Challenge Day 16

When ‪#‎LoveRules‬ your life, your light is used not only to draw people, but to LEAD people.

LOVE RULES CHALLENGE DAY 16: 

LIGHT (Lead) THE WAY.

We believe everyone has a superpower and that superpower can be used to light the way for someone else. Today, we're urging you to identify your superpower and begin using it to help people around you.

Unsure what your superpower is? Ask yourself these questions:

*What am I good at?
*How do I add value to my family, work or committee?
*What comes naturally to me?
*What compliment do I most often receive?
*When do I feel most confident?
*When I feel joy or happiness, what am I usually doing?

Look for overlap or patterns in your answers...that will help you identify your superpower and allow you to light the way out of your natural gifting!

Will you share one of your answers in the comments below? It'd be great to know what "superpowers" are going on out there!

TODAY -- REFIT® is LIVE on the Periscope App! Join in on the "Accept vs Embrace" discussion OR tap the screen OR sit quietly listening!

Book Review: The Jesus-Hearted Woman

The Jesus-Hearted Woman: 
10 Leadership Qualities for
Enduring & Endearing Influence
by Jodi Detrick
Influence Resources, 2013
and in association with The Quadrivium Group

The church-world is full of broken-hearted people. What's worse? The church-world being full of broken-hearted leaders.

A compassionate leader and communicator, Jodi Detrick believes "If you have the heart, you can learn the skill." Although this book's title would suggest it is targeted exclusively for the female leader, not a single man could nor would deny the leadership pattern of Christ is for all from those just starting out to those serving for many years in any position. 

Jodi designed each chapter for the reader-leader to draw from her personal leadership experiences through humor, others' lives and God's Word. Ending with a section of coaching questions, a devotional and lesson for the newbie leader, you'll find golden boulders --not nuggets-- of wisdom to immediately put into action.

Are you open to learn? Are you willing to take on the qualities not typically discussed in secular leadership conferences? Are you prepared for that seedling sown in your heart long ago to germinate?

Ok, then! Order your personal copy or several copies for a group development ---> HERE! or at Amazon.

Learn more about a Jesus-Hearted Woman at JesusHeartedWoman.com and about the author at JodiDetrick.com.