Yesterday I picked up my mom up to watch my daughter’s bellydance troupe perform.  While I call Mom everyday with a daily “I love you call”, when we spend time together at her house, at someone else’s house or at a predetermined destination, we don’t usually arrive together.  So I didn’t see until yesterday that she’s slowed down in the last few months.  The reality of how much she has, indeed, slowed down was overwhelming as I watched her walk many steps toward our destination.

She moved so hesitantly, hunched over and grabbing hold of the next available item to pull herself forward if she didn’t have another person or a cane or walker to help her.  She studied so intently on taking the next step, being careful not to fall, her mouth hanging open in focus.  It was hard for her to breathe.  I held her walker, then her cane, and then her arm.  My heart broke as I watched the prayer warrior, fighter and survivor work so hard to get where she was going.  There was a lump in my throat as I forced back the tears, thinking of how my brothers and sisters and family members have seen this and how it must hurt them.

Once in the car I got a phone call and started explaining a very painful, life-altering situation I’m living through.  Once I got off the phone, she asked about it and I told her, explaining that it’s been more than difficult to deal with so I’ve been edgy but don’t intend to be short with her as I explain it.  I said, “Mom, I shouldn’t even be telling you this.  You don’t need something to worry about.”

“You have to tell me these things, honey,” she replied.  “If you don’t, I can’t pray, and praying is what I do.  I hurt when you hurt and I need to know how to pray.” I told her ok and that I loved her very much.

I took her home later and turned to get in my car, realizing that I could have held her longer, hugged her harder and told her more deeply how much I love her.  I listened to that unction and went back to say, “Mom, I need to tell you good-bye the right way.”  I hugged her hard and told her how blessed I am to have her as my mom.

As I described to my husband the state she is in, I wept hard.  I told him how sad I was that he lost his mom to cancer but how it was a blessing he didn’t have to see the aging process do what it does.  Perhaps I was feeling sorry for myself or perhaps I was realizing something I’ve known for some time now and never faced.

This morning I went to her church and sat next to her.  The service was especially meaningful and, with all I’m going through right now, I cried pretty hard.  As I leaned forward in my pew and worked to control the sobbing, I felt a hand on my back, a hand that had placed itself there so many times over the years.  I heard her whispers as she cried out to the Lord on my behalf.  When she was done praying for me, she gave me several of what our family has come to refer to as “Gramma Jetta pats” on the leg.  She told me how much she loves me and that she knows God has a plan.

God has a plan.  Those words from one whose prayers move mountains.

This was the most precious gift I’ve received in a long time.  To know her body is failing, to know she may go home to glory soon, and to know beyond a shadow of any doubt that she is on her knees for her family on a daily basis is a gift beyond description.  To know, at that moment, her hand was on me and she was interceding on my behalf brings me joy I cannot describe.  I have been given a gift that some will never know.  I am so blessed.

I wanted to share this with you today to remind you not to miss the things in life that matter.  Someone has been, is, and will be praying for you; there is no greater gift.  When it is done unselfishly and physically demonstrated by such a prayer warrior as my mom, you KNOW God is going to hear and meet that need.  Halleluiah.  I so love my mom!!

Thank you for letting me share my heart.

I just wanted to share this video.  I have the honor of getting to speak to our Thin & Healthy Network every month at a meeting we host at the corporate office.  This is an excerpt from one of the last meetings that I have recieved amazing feedback from, so I wanted to share it with you.

It addresses how being a wise steward of your time will easily bring about positive thinking and help you influence others.

This 8 minute video also teaches you how I turned doubt in my future, to hope and peace.

I hope you enjoy it!

Leave a comment of how this video has helped you!

“If at first you don’t succeed, go back and do it again.”  ~Dov Charney, CEO American Apparel

A while back 20/20 aired a show called The New Rich.  IT reviewed four new entrepreneurs who’ve made it huge and some of the reasons they believe it’s happened.  Dov Charney is from Canada.  During college, he brought 15,000 t-shirts into Canada from the U.S.  He had success with selling them.  He dropped out of college and with a borrowed $10,000.00 he moved to the Carolinas and began American Apparel, making cotton apparel in the USA, for the world.  When other manufactures began making their items abroad, for sixteen cents an hour, he was forced into bankruptcy.  Now wait!  Listen to this.  He wasn’t defeated.  He decided there had to be a better way that he had just not yet found.  He was passionate about his idea and knew he could get other people to be too.  So, a college drop out, with a $10,000.00 loan and a bankrupt company continued in the SAME BUSINESS in the SAME COMPANY.

The show was aired from the company’s 800,000 square foot manufacturing facility in L.A. where he pays his employees, all immigrants, about $12.00 per hour.  They’re happy, he’s happy, and… oh yes… the company now has 30 stores and will do $200,000,000.00 in sales this year.  Maybe there’s something you’ve tried and not seen the results you hoped for.  You can begin again, differently, and see your dreams come true.  Dov said, “It only takes passion for what you’re doing and belief that big things with it are possible.”

Life is Short. I’ll not quit or see things as hopeless.  I’ll realize people go through situations all the time that are less than ideal and I’ll remember I can not only start again, but succeed even more than I thought I would in the first place.

In A CONSTANT State of Victory!

Donna

Have you check out TSTN’s Success Cast yet?

SuccessCast is an excerpt of TSTN’s dynamic programming. Every day, our viewers get the key insights and ideas for how to succeed at work, in their families, with their finances, and with their health.

“Character is higher than intellect.  A great soul will be strong to live as well as think.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Five simple words can really be used to sum up character.  What do YOU care about?  It’s been said that character (or who you REALLY are) is who you are when no one else is watching.  I’ve added to that, when you’re under pressure and no one else is watching.  At that time when you’re feeling overwhelmed, under accomplished or things look like you may never get your goal— what goes through YOUR mind?  Is it a positive, hope-filled outlook or one of dismay?  Do you kick into a high gear of solution creativity or do you just want to run?  Do you think of what you can do with and learn inside of the day you been given or think about all the reasons things haven’t worked and all the things you’ve done wrong?  Every day is a new day!  Ideas are in your mind just WAITING to be birthed!  Take heart and know that believing and being determined will far outweigh what can be learned.

Life is Short Decide today to think and to LIVE well.

Success… success unto you, and ALL your hand touches!

Donna.

To believe means to know, to accept as true, to assume, to be absolutely certain.  It’s the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.  It’s immovable faith.  Ask yourself, “Do I know that what I want to accomplish is going to take place?”  You might think it CAN happen, but do you KNOW it’s going to happen?

Too often we don’t give credit to those “conversations with the enemy” or the thoughts that go through our minds, like “I’m not good enough.  What in the world am I thinking?  I’m getting too old.  I’m never going to be able to accomplish this.  Why would I start now?  I haven’t followed through on the goals I’ve set before so why bother setting goals again?  I’m such a loser.  I’m never going to…”

Why do we have these conversations in our minds?  These are not conversations with victory.  These are not conversations with success or happiness; these are conversations with the enemy.  If you are having conversations with the enemy, that’s evidence of limiting belief which is why we say, “I don’t care what the evidence says; I know what the promise is and that’s what I’m moving on.”

If you have limiting beliefs, start building your belief that you can accomplish your goals. The way you can begin to build your belief is by writing out your own belief-building statement based on what you know. Write in the present tense what you are going to achieve. For example, I might say, “I know I have a national television show that brings health, hope and happiness to millions of viewers.”  Write whatever your goal is, in present tense, putting as much detail into it as you can.

Some people say, “Well, every fiber of my being doesn’t agree with this present-tense statement because it’s not really there, so I believe I should be saying ‘I will do this’”.  I will tell you that I write mine in present tense, because if I know it, I know it.  It doesn’t mean it’s happening this moment; it means I know that it’s happening every second that we live.

Keep this thought in mind: Stop and cherish the moment when you know it’s happening so then you can say, “I know…” in present tense, because it IS happening. Whichever way you write it, you need a belief building statement so that you are pouring into your mind on a regular basis what you want to accomplish.  If you’re pouring what isn’t working, or what isn’t going to happen into your mind, that’s exactly what the outcome will be.

Build your belief instead of having conversations with the enemy, and you WILL see your goals achieved.