Focused in Flight

Ok, so it’s mid-January now and you’ve taken off. Hopefully you’re still going to the gym. You’re still eating healthy. You’re still studying or writing or working on whatever you have dedicated yourself to pursue. How do you do that? You stay focused. Expect turbulence. Be prepared for what could happen that might cause a delay. Don’t become distracted by what’s going on around you. Don’t quit. You can do it. Trust the instruments. In other words, trust what God said in His Word and trust His promises. Proverbs 3:5-6 states Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. I’m reminded of how I had to encourage myself to keep going and stay focused. If you read my book you’ll find out that when I divorced, I was not in the best shape from a financial standpoint. While living in a mobile home park, the gas expenses to cook and heat my single wide trailer were skyrocketing. I had to make a decision. I could stay there and keep paying those astronomical prices or... move. I was forced to find somewhere else to live by the following winter. In Chapter 4 I describe how my realtor presented the opportunity for me to build a home. So this meant I didn’t have to keep renting, but I could invest my hard earned money more wisely by having something that belonged to me. It was such an exciting time! I started the process and I had to trust God even though I did not have a huge bank account. I did not let that stop me. I was motivated to keep going forward. I was able to provide every penny that was required at the time of my closing, and it was such a wonderful feeling to have the keys to my first brand new home! I promised God that if He brought me through that, I would give Him the glory and let everyone know that He did it. I’m keeping my promise. I’m still telling others about His goodness. By the way, I've decided to devote 1/2 hour on 4th Saturday nights to talk about the goodness of God. The sessions I hosted during the holidays were so powerful that I have to continue. Join me on Facebook at 8 pm on Saturday, January 23. I don’t know what you’re faced with today. I don’t know what your goals are or what you want to accomplish this year. I just want to say that even if you are faced with what appears to be insurmountable circumstances, don’t speak what you see, but walk by faith and not by sight. I must share what a good friend told me. She said she's watched me for the last couple of years and said: "Charlene, you are purposeful. You try to put into your schedule what you need to do. You guard and set boundaries for what you want to accomplish and for your rest time. You are very focused and conscientious about what you need to get done, not just for yourself but everyone you are giving to. You have a spirit of producing. You are fruitful." Wow! I was so humbled by her words of encouragement. I must also add that I guard my time with God by making prayer and Bible reading/study a daily priority, and I guard my TV time by setting limits so it does not interfere with goals. I'm learning that the more productive I am, the more I can glorify God with my life. I try to stay focused and I encourage you to do the same. The same way God has been helping me, He will help you. Don’t give up because our God is able to keep you on the right path. He knows how to redirect, when needed. He can keep you from collisions and the obstacles that you can and cannot see. ALWAYS trust Him! I'm praying for you!

Take Flight

Happy New Year! I really enjoyed the Overcoming Loneliness sessions over the holidays, and I am so glad I was able to connect with people who were not only local but also people from outside of Georgia and globally. We discussed how we’ve been affected by loneliness and how we can work through any difficulties that we may experience. People were helped and I thank God for leading me to gather people in the 'room.' The impact was so moving that I plan to host monthly 30 minute Meet Ups starting soon. Check back for the dates and times, and get ready to pull up a chair. For this month, the focus is on taking flight and resilience. I remember a passage in my book on page 12 that prompted me to choose this month's focus: “My disruption was a failed marriage. Although I initiated the divorce, the process was still devastating. I could’ve allowed that low period to define the rest of my life.” Unfortunately our unprecedented disruption is COVID-19. None of us woke up last March expecting a global pandemic which would devastate the lives of millions and almost upend the economy. We can look back on enormous challenges, failures and pain from last year--but we have to allow ourselves to think about things differently. Maya Angelou said 'if you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.' It is impossible to change anything that happened in 2020 or any other time. No matter how hard we try, we can’t undo anything that took place. We do have the opportunity to start anew. I share in my book about the day I chose to leave emotional abuse and start anew. The Bible says God’s mercies are new every morning. Because we are alive God has something for us to do. Prepare to take flight and move forward. You survived. You have the resilience to keep going and thrive. This is a new year and there are new opportunities ahead. I'm praying for you!

Reaching Out of Loneliness

This is has been quite an emotional time for me. This week marks the 6th anniversary of my husband's death. Ben passed away on Monday, December 15, 2014. I am still daunted in some ways by it. Some people may expect leaders to be almost superhuman and strong 24/7, however, leaders aren't superhuman nor strong through each and every season of life. I’m learning that it’s normal to feel the pain of loneliness. We are still in the middle of a pandemic, which has presented a forced loneliness on top of what we may have already been dealing with. I discovered from the Bible that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5b). I have learned that moving forward to pursue a new friendship does not erase the memory of the previous loved one. Over the years it has helped that I keep myself busy and occupied. I still work full-time. I enjoy time with family. I have my Celebrate Recovery family and we have weekly Zoom meetings. I have mentors, mentees and peers that I communicate with. I’ve written a book. If I just stayed isolated and to myself, I would remain in a sad, lonely place. However, if I do what God has called me to do and share the love of Jesus with others, it’s inevitable for me to be helped and encouraged also. I've discovered that even in the middle of a moment of sadness, I can still find peace and joy as I stay focused on being in God’s presence and encouraging and praying for others. Jesus Christ experienced the ultimate loneliness when He felt forsaken by His Father. (Matthew 27:46). However, He continued to fulfill the mission: His death, burial and resurrection to save us and bring us into fellowship with God. He did not allow temporary separation and aloneness to stop Him from bridging the gap for us. Because NO ONE will ever experience a loneliness like Jesus did, He’s the One we have to look to when we’re experiencing it. What has God given you to do? Do you feel like you need to reach out to someone today? Walk in obedience. Helping that person could be the answer you need to overcoming your lonely place. If you’re still struggling and need some help, then reach out to me or to someone. I’m inviting you to join my next Overcoming Loneliness session on December 24 & 25. If you missed the first one, you still have two more opportunities. Finally, while we anticipate what God has in store for our future, let us also express gratitude for the experiences of the past. God can repurpose our pain. Let's look to Him.