Coffee with Carole

Are you living on the edge of uncertainty?  Do you fear what tomorrow will bring?  Do you feel like there are no more solutions, resources or someone who can help?  For most of us, the holidays bring on fears and anxiety.  We fear overeating.  We fear not having enough money for gifts.  We fear how we will manage our schedules or when we will see family if we can't be together during the holidays.  Our anxieties and worries are amplified and emphasized.  

But what if we live on the edge of uncertainty with a certain God?  What if no matter what we know that our tomorrow is all going to be ok?  When we choose uncertainty based on a full dependence on God, things are not only better, there is peace and flow.  

God calls us to give our plans to Him and then focus on our daily obedience.  When we call upon God to show us and direct our daily decisions, actions and thoughts, He will respond to us.  If we seek Him, He will respond and He will reward!  Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) says, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

Take time to focus on the moment and make a memory.  Make the holidays about serving others, not serving food.  Focus less on the stuff around us and the stuffing for the turkey and pay more attention to what God is saying to you.  His word fills us when we are at our emptiest!

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Everyone wants to know the future.  We are curious!  We play the games that predict who we will marry, what our kids will look like and what our future home will be.  We read the horoscopes and consider the possibilities.  But do we truly know what God says about predictions, prophecy and what our future holds?

The world says it can be both good or bad.   God says that when He speaks into your life through His word or through another person it is meant to strengthen, encourage and comfort you.  This means a "bad" prediction isn't from Him.  (1 Corinthians 14:3)  

Take the time to enter into His presence daily with respect.  Value your time with Him.  Ask Him to speak into your life and tell you what you need to learn, where you need to grow and if something needs to change.  He will speak into your life through His word and send people into your life that will lift you and encourage you.

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These are the 3 questions I ask God before I start my day.  I don't always get an answer right away, but I keep seeking Him. (Deut. 4:29-31) As long as I have a restless spirit, I know that I am not aligned with God correctly or He is trying to teach me something.  It is my job to keep seeking His answer.  

This week I started out with some doubts and fears...an unsettled spirit.  I wasn't sure why and could not quite understand what God was trying to tell me.  I kept asking until, in the midst of cleaning my kitchen, I heard "respect and growth".  The time it took to hear Him may have simply been my worldly beliefs that were blocking His message.  As I researched these words in scripture, God gave me specific scriptures to review.  Titus 2:7 and Luke 14:10 were for respect and Job 8:7, Galatians 6:9 and Proverbs 1:5 were for growth.  It became clear to me that God intends to grow my business but I need to tighten up some of my systems and get even better at modeling scripture in action.  I need to be humble and not jump to the head table until I am invited.  I need to wait on His leading and not give up my efforts.  I need to increase in my learning- dig more into scripture and surround myself with individuals who give me guidance and instruction.  

My peace returned.  I know what I must do. 

Our world will always present us with challenges, trials and pressures.  God is the eye of the storm.  He is your shelter and refuge!  Do not stop seeking Him because He will be faithful.  The time it takes for us to hear His voice depends on how loud the noise of the world is.  The more we spend time with Him, the easier it is to hear His voice.  This journey is different for everyone.

Do not stop too soon.  Do not stop until you are in peace.  Keep seeking and going to scripture.  www.openbible.info/topics

For many, the holidays trigger negative emotions, stress and anxiety.  There is a focus on lack, loss and increased commercialism that pushes us to feel overwhelmed.  We know we shouldn't fall prey to the "should" mentality...but yet we do.  Our focus is more on how we are feeling about things than what the true meaning of the season is about.  The world, like a door, gives us 2 options- we can either push or pull.  Neither option leaves us feeling much different.  

God, however, offers us a different choice.  We can either stay in struggle or experience peace.  We can accept our circumstances and say "it is as good as can be expected" or embrace a "better than expected" joy!  It almost feels more like a magic trick because of our deep rooted belief in the lies we have been told for so many years.  Yet, when we stop and replace our thoughts and ideas with God's words, change happens.  

Take time today to spread good cheer to others and take the focus off of self.  Give out smiles!  Hand out bible verses or positive words written on paper.  Sneak a note, a starbucks card or some other special thing into someone's pocket or purse.  Think only good thoughts of others.  You never know what they are dealing with.

Crazy?  Unbelievable?  I don't think so. 

This morning I woke up not feeling 100%...wanting to just pull the covers back up and stay in bed.  Call out sick...and just not do the day.  Thoughts of all the things that I had to do and things that could potentially happen started racing through my head.  I was feeling less and less like moving by the minute.  Do you know what I am talking about?  The pressure on your chest that says, "you can't?"  The overwhelming weight of bills and laundry and whatever else you can think of...

NOT TODAY, Devil.  You don't get to steal from me before I even have it.  You don't get to decide my day.  

I started to pay attention to my breath.  God in.  God out.  God in.  God out.  Then, the most incredible thing happened.  

God not only answered me and moved me from the bed to my day, but gave me a message for the next time this happens.  Call 463.  

Listen and be blessed.  ♥

Leadership is not easy.  To lead you must be followed.  Being followed means that people respect, like, or admire what you are doing.  Leaders that force followers through tactics of intimidation are not respected, they are feared. However, leaders who pause to reflect before acting, consider another's point of view or interest and remain focused on long term results are trusted.  

Consider the ocean.  When the ocean is powerful, we see it.  The waves are tossed about and water is spitting all over.  However, we don't see an undercurrent because the surface remains calm and peaceful.  The undercurrent is by far more powerful than the visible waves.  The patient leader is the undercurrent!  This leader instills trust, respect and a sense of calm.  The powerful leader only instills fear and gets short term results in response.  

Consider your leadership.  Consider the way you get results.  Pausing before acting is always best.  Considering your words and how they will affect another person are important.  Asking God for help is always best.  Let Him lead and guide you and learn how to become both powerful and patient!

Our personal values drive our behaviors.  However, sometimes our behaviors contradict our values.  When we make conscious decisions that go against our values, we create challenges in our relationship with God and our relationship with people.

Luke 6:31 tells us to treat others the way we want to be treated. Sometimes we think, "this isn't hurting anyone, so, it's ok".   We may say it's ok to lie to our spouse and say the shoes were on sale or keep the extra the cashier accidentally gives us as change...but we don't like it when it is done to us.  We get upset when someone lies to us and we find out or when we don't get the $1 back we were supposed to get...we feel cheated.  So, it never is ok to consciously do the wrong thing!  

If you make a mistake, try to correct it.  If you can't correct it, then work to not do it again.  The key is to consistently work to please God and to be scripture in action.  Trust God when the decision is difficult and goes against human opinion.  It may not always be easy, but it is doable.  

True friendship is hard to find- especially in today's busy world...but I believe God wants us to have true friends.  Proverbs 27:17 tells us that iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another.  Do we work to be both sweet and tangy in our relationships?  Are we the type of friend that we love?  Are we honest without finding fault?  Are we dedicated without being demanding?  Do we give to another what we want for ourselves?  

Consider asking God how to be a better friend and how to find friends that will strengthen you in your faith.  Focus on helping someone be better, but always work to be better yourself.  Encourage and lift up.  Pray and be thankful.  Send a note in the mail or buy the favorite coffee....spend time listening when you would rather be doing something else.  Work to be both sweet and tangy...because honestly, those are the friends we typically appreciate the most.  

We all have problems.  We could have the same problem or we could have different ones, but we all have them.  Some have money issues, others have relationship challenges or health ailments.  Some of us battle depression, stress and worry.  Some of us have ALL these issues.  

What do we do?  We seek help.  We join groups and buy programs.  We google for information and advice.  However, most of the time, the ideas we get only work for a period of time or don't work at all.  

My role as a coach is to give you directions, not advice.  Sure, I might send you to a specific scripture or point you to a specific idea, but ultimately, you are the one who makes the decision.  I think that all my clients will agree that I will always point them back in the direction of asking God what He says.   What God tells me is not what God tells you.  We are all different children and He knows what each of us need.  

James 1:5 tells us that if we ask for wisdom we will get it.  No questions asked.  I can tell you this, but it is YOU that must be willing to ask.  I can't ask for you.  

God does the how and you do the do...or you don't.  The choice is yours.

The world wants us to believe that more is better, faster is easier and the one with the most toys wins!  God tells us that if we seek Him in even the most mundane things, ask Him the silliest of questions He will guide us through!  He says that more of HIM is better, His timing is perfect, and the one with the most faith wins!  

Our goal should always be about the message and not the messenger!  If something distracts us or others from the message, let's change it!  God will provide a way.  He looks at our hearts, not our outward appearance.  However, we live in a world where our image and our appearance do make a difference in our message.   God knows this and will provide for this.  

Going without isn't God's plan for us.  Living with less does not please Him.  What matters is whether we desire to honor God with our wealth or our wealth makes us feel more honorable.  He just wants us to ask Him before we spend and obey His answer.  Trust that what He wants to give us is better than what we want or think we need and make a decision to submit to His authority.