Week 4 – Working Through Tough Memories and Our World Turning Upside Down

 

This week has been challenging.  Just a year ago, on Oct. 21st, my oldest son, Joel, died unexpectedly.  Wow has life changed for our family!  These unexpected events can turn our world upside down, and some days we wonder if we can go on.

Yet, I am so thankful to The Lord, to my church family, to family and friends for all the support and help along the journey.  Overall, I feel like I have grown through this in a pretty healthy way, and most days now are positive and good.  There are definitely very sad times, where I get ambushed by grief and memories, and I will say this last week was full of them. But I realize ultimately these are good too, because I try to take time to work through and deal with my grief rather than just pushing it back under.

Griefshare, a national support group, has been such a tremendous help to me, and I highly recommend it to anyone working through grief.  You can check it out at http://www.griefshare.org  You can learn from the site, receive a daily email of encouragement (that are so “right on” and helpful), and join in on a local group if you desire – highly recommended!  Many people come, even years later after their loss, realizing they have tried to “stuff it down”, yet it doesn’t go away until you really work through it in healthy ways.

Where it really hurts is watching family members who are having a more difficult time working through their grief. How my heart hurts for them and wants to “fix it” for them, yet I know it is a personal journey for everyone.

I am so thankful for what I have learned through GriefShare, through Scripture, and through the teachings in MKE to help me have a strong hope for the future, purpose in living, and direction to be focused on.

Suffering a back injury about 18 months ago, that changed my life drastically as well, has brought many challenges and decisions. Not being able to return to my profession of over 30 years, Occupational Therapy, has led me on a path of “What is the right fit for me know professionally”.  This is an ongoing journey, yet I am so glad I have my Definate Major Purpose to guide me forward.

I hope when you have those tough moments, you will also take time to reflect, remember, work through your loss, and then leave that behind and put your focus forward again – reaching toward your own personal goals and dreams, guided by your Definate Major Purpose!

Have a blessed week!

Karin

 

Week 3 – Where is our focus?

Ever feel like this?

 

 

How many times do we not focus?

Well last week we were looking for blue rectangles and this week it is red circles – keeping our eyes out for them where ever we go.

Such a simple assignment… but is it easy?  Yes, simple, but I find I forget to do it. I even have reminders up in several places to keep it forefront in my mind!  Yet, I am driving along and all the sudden something reminds me and I realize I have forgotten all about looking.  Yet, when I focus, there are blue rectangle and red circles all around me.

 

Makes me wonder, how many other things am I missing out on in my busy days.  Lord, help me to focus more, focus on the things that count and less on the distractions that are always abounding.  This way I can have so much more of an impact in my world.

Have a great week focusing on what is really important in your life!

Blessings,

Karin

Week 2 – 40 Billion Synaptic Workers – where are they going?

This week the theme of the 40 Billion synaptic workers that are ready to work for us, yet if we do not give them specific direction, they do not know what to work on – hit hard.

As I am revamping my DMP, I am working on being more and more specific so I can direct the progress more specifically.

It is interesting how much easier it is to speak in generalities, and how much more challenging it is to get specific – yet that is what we need to do for sure!

Have a blessed week – and remember, let’s get specific 🙂

 

Week 1 – Round Two

 

“Back again, just like a long lost friend”, the song goes.  It is good to be back!  What a joy to hear Mark and Daveen and Lori share their wisdom as we start another year of the Master Key Experience.

I must be honest and say that over the summer I did not remain faithful to my daily activities, and I can sure see a difference.  I know with going through this tremendous and challenging program again, I will gain a much deeper depth of understanding, and trust that I will put it into practice in a much deeper way this year.

Now that I have seen the “Big Picture” I feel like I can concentrate on the individual aspects better and really change my “subby” this year. I am excited to get started again. Initially I am deciding to audit the course, completing the activities on my own. I am debating if the accountability of having a personal guide is important, and will weigh that out over the next week or 2.

I hope you will enjoy coming on this journey with me. I’d love for us to grow together, becoming all God created us to be.

Week 23 – The Law of Least Resistance

So our goal starting this week is to Apply The Law of Least Effort by living each day with:

1. Acceptance
2. Responsibility
3. Defenselessness

I wonder which one “hits home” most for you?

For me I believe defenselessness tops the list!

“Today my awareness will remain established in Defenselessness. I will relinquish the need to defend my point of view. I will feel no need to convince or persuade others to accept my point of view. I will remain open to all points of view and not be rigidly attached to any one of them.”

My first thought was … does this include my family…. my children – who are now adults, yet, “You know I still am their Mom”!  I think in many relationships I have gotten better with this over the years, not having to be right or have the last words, but I still find it difficult with my family members.  I wonder if this is a struggle for you too, or am I alone in this?  Having been Mom with the role and responsibility of mentoring my children, it is easy for me to fall into the role of “Mom know best!”.  I find I feel this is still the case if I don’t catch myself – even tho my “baby” is almost 26 years old!

So this week I am focused on being the observer, not being opinionated and listening.  My daughter in law shared something her mother often asks her, and I am trying to learn to use as an automatic thought and sometimes ask out loud rather than being tempted to give advice.  “Are you just wanting me to listen or are you wanting to hear my thoughts on it.”   So here it goes…..  Have a great week being defenseless!

Week 22 – Can We Really Change the Way We Look at Things?

 

What a challenge to change the way we look at things. I love the idea of changing the way I look at things that I always saw as hurdles to be conquered before….like Fear, Guilt, Anger, Hurt Feelings, Unworthiness.   Interesting concept… Instead of seeing Fear as a brick holding me back/down, see it as a tool, as a gift.  When I am afraid I have a tremendous amount of energy and intense focus and it truly does eliminate all distractions!  So now as I take that focus, energy and attentiveness and focus it on my DMP, it brings such power to move into action. And action is what I need to move forward – over the fear and onto my definite major purpose. So as I focus on being grateful, even for the gift/tool of fear, it disperses and I move into action in the right direction!  How cool!

What about when I am feeling angry.? That sure is a time of intensely increased energy and when I channel it – as a power tool, I can substitute productivity for negativity. How much better this will be for myself and everyone around me?  May I learn to be the observer, mastering my emotions and turning them for good!

Would you like to join me? Think if all of us do…. what a better world it would be!

Week 21 – How will this go while I am traveling?

 

Here I am in the thick of the Master Key Experience – ready to go on the trip of a lifetime – wondering how I will keep up with my daily commitments as I go on a structured tour.  Hmmm.  How will it go?

I am blessed to be going to Israel to visit the Holy Land with my son and daughter in law and her grandmother. What a tremendous blessing – a trip I have looked forward to for years.

As I arrive and enjoy the tour with 41 other people that keeps us intensely and excitedly busy for long hours, I must say, my daily tasks have not been completed as consistently as at home, yet a very interesting thing is happening.   I fit them in when I can – mostly back in the room,  yet my attitude and my outlook are quite different than I think it would have been a year ago, before learning to much.

I am really focused on being an observer, and wow are there so many things to observe. Since this is a Biblical tour, visiting the holy sites, and getting to walk where Jesus walked, it is a wonderful time to reflect on what really counts in life. Although we are going at a fast pass, I feel I am taking moments to “smell the flowers” and experience the environment and people with a much deeper appreciation than I would have before.

I am so grateful and appreciative of all we are experiencing and rejoicing in the fresh awareness of God’s love and provision throughout the years.  By the way – if you are ever looking for a great tour company to visit Israel with, I highly recommend Pilgrim Tours;-)

Week 20 -Am I being a Fox or a Hedgehog?

This week during our training webinar I was really struck by considering if I am being a Fox or a Hedgehog.  As they told us….. “The fox knows many things but the hedgehog know one big thing.

Oh how in the past I have been the fox, having to know every detail, spending lots of time planning but not so much time accomplishing.  This week I have been focusing more on what I call, “Stumbling Forward”  not being so concerned that I have it all figured out, but just keeping it simple, having my goal in mind and expanding my comfort zone and actually turning the challenges from fears to accomplishment. Although it is a change that takes frequent re-correction, it is exciting to see results and confidence building.  It is great to have opportunities to mentor others and encourage them to do the same too!

So may I encourage you to be the hedgehog – focus on your passion and “stumble forward” embracing life as you move forward continually.

 

Week 19 – Courage

“The ability to do something that frightens one.”

“Strength in the face of pain or grief.”

Both are definitions of Courage

Sometimes it feels like I am walking that tightrope in life!
How about you?!?

I am so thankful for the Lord’s words in Deuteronomy 31:6:
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,
for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.”

This verse so often speaks courage into my heart when I am tempted to do the opposite – to worry and fear.  The more I let go of the outcome, focus on my purpose and goals, and commit all that I do as unto the Lord, the more courageous I become.

Have you ever seen the movie, “Courageous”?  If not, I highly recommend it. Having lost our oldest son just 3 months ago, I have an even greater appreciation of the courage and commitment Adam Mitchell demonstrates.  As his whole family struggles through tragedy and grief, he rises above his circumstances and not only becomes a victor himself, he courageously leads others to do the same.  And not just in the movie – but in the hearts of his viewers as well.

May our demonstration of courage also affect many around us as we “Trust in the Lord, with all your heart and lean not on our own understanding, in all our ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.” Psalms 3:5-6

Week 18 – Making that choice – and sticking to it!

Should I…. should I not…… which would be better….

Ever find yourself going back and forth, back and forth in trying to make a decision?

This has been a lifelong challenge for me.  I was taught to weigh the pros and cons carefully – a good idea to a point, yet when taken to far has often held me back from moving forward in any direction.  How about you?

I have always admired people who seem to be able to make definite decisions and then not look back and question them.  Well now it is my turn!

The dictionary meaning of decisive is:   1. able to make decisions quickly and confidently, or showing this quality: 2. strongly affecting how a situation will progress or end.

I find the second part of this definition interesting. Once I confidently make that decision I am “Strongly affecting how a situation will progress or end.”  Isn’t that what this whole MKE experience has been about – affecting how our lives progress!

I won’t say it is easy, but making a conscious decision to make a decision and not labor over it has been building my confidence to do it more. Looking forward to how I can and do affect how my situation and life progresses by proactively choosing to…