Surround yourself with those who, when you’re around them, cause you to long for a deeper sense of who you are.

photo credit: emitea

Don’t become like them, but note the characteristics in them that are attractive to you.

Compile your list and slowly implement the attributes of the ones who inspire you to be a better you.

Imitate their compassion, leadership, mercy, grace, humor, and patience. Avoid judgment, strife, greed, and control.

Don’t stand still.

Move forward.

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I remember a life several years ago I thought was great. When tragedy happened, I laughed my way through it, buried it and moved on. I woke up, went to work and back home. Occasionally in between, I’d stop at the convenience store to grab a pack of Pall Mall Menthol Lights.

photo credit: fake plastic breno (creative commons)

I did what I wanted when I wanted to and was quick to judge and wouldn’t hesitate to throw the first punch in an argument, whether physically or verbally. I did my fair share of making fun of “Bible Thumpers” all the while continuing on the road of my own selfish ambitions.

Sounds like the life doesn’t it? 

Then Jesus got a hold of me. He brought me to my knees weeping, desperate for a change. All of a sudden, things weren’t as funny as they used to be. The sins I committed in the work place brought this thing on called conviction. My anger started to scare me. I became interested in actually reading the Bible.

Christianity was going to be cool. Everything would be perfect now. Life wouldn’t be hard anymore. People told me the answers to life were in the Bible and I just needed to search them out. Who couldn’t do that? I was on a smooth ride, just waiting to go to Heaven.

Sounds pretty boring huh? 

Let me introduce you to the life of being a Jesus Follower. Boring doesn’t even fit on the scale. The more I grow in my faith, the bigger the target on my back gets.  This life I live now is an action packed roller coaster and it isn’t always fun.

Turns out the closer your walk with Jesus, the more you piss the devil off. Though he knows he can never take your soul with him to Hell, he can do many things to try to make your life on earth hell. He attacks you through people. He attacks you through your own thoughts. He thoroughly enjoys throwing your past in your face.

This past week has been a tough struggle for me. For everything great God did in my life, Satan was there to throw a dart into the mix. Here are a few examples:

• I released a weight loss ebook. He was quick to remind me that I wasn’t worthy to write anything about weight loss. I was a food addict and would always be one, just like my dad was an alcoholic.
• As I prepare to finish the last chapter of my new book to be released in September, he is on my heels with every distraction possible to keep me from doing so. He does not want this book published.
• As I prepared to speak on the topic of prayer, He tried to distract my prayer life and disconnect me from God.

Unfortunately, I let Satan get a few good punches in this week and I didn’t fight back like I should have. I listened to my feelings vs. the truth. I tried to fix things myself instead of reaching out for prayer before the battle got too deep. I let my pride get in the way. I let lies of my past slip through the cracks.

But today is a new day and greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world.

If anyone tells you that following Jesus is easy, they’re lying. It’s hard. You’ll want to quit. You won’t, because Christ is in you. Sometimes it’s exciting. Sometimes it’s exhausting. You’re always in a fight. You’ll fail. You will conquer. You’ll cry. You will scream.

But it’s all worth it in the end.

I close with this. If Christianity is rolling along smoothly for you and there are no attacks coming your way,  then I have to ask, are you really following Jesus? 

Thanks for reading. I'm so blessed you chose to stop by Lead. Love. Laugh. Christianity: It’s a Smooth Ride is a post from: Sundi Jo P.S. YOU'RE AWESOME!

How many sports players do you think sit on the sidelines during the game and never get playing time? They settle with the fact they can call themselves “players” regardless if they ever get to play or not.

photo credit: jason anfinsen (creative commons)

Every week they dress up in their gear, run out on the field with the rest of the team, then sit next to the Gatorade jug watching, hoping, wishing they could be on the field. Still it doesn’t happen.

We do that in life. We sit on the sidelines and do nothing. We sit and watch everyone else use their gifts and wish we could use ours. Life passes us by as we wait – wait for something to happen. We don’t use our gifts because we doubt the gifts we really have.

One of the cool things about God is that he equips each of us with different gifts and talents. I’m a writer and I’m so thankful he chose that gift for me versus the gift of teaching Algebra. Oh how the thought of teaching polynomials makes my stomach turn.

I wonder how much success for the Kingdom has been tossed to the wayside because we don’t believe in the God-given potential he has given us. I’m guilty. I’ve let low self-esteem and the lack of confidence keep me from pursuing gifts and passions he has placed in me.

God created YOU with unbelievable potential!

It’s time to get in the game and start playing. It’s time to toss our feelings and wrong beliefs to the wayside and use what he’s given us.

The first step to doing this is putting our confidence in God, not in ourselves. We can’t pursue life with our own confidence, but it’s completely possible with God’s confidence. Jesus said so in Mark 10:27.

“With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.

Ask him to see yourself through his eyes. If you don’t know your gifts, ask him to show you. Believe in the potential he has given you. Put your confidence in him. He’ll never let you down.

Question: What great things have you seen happen by putting your confidence in God? Share below…

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Thanks for reading. I'm so blessed you chose to stop by Lead. Love. Laugh. How to Find Your Potential is a post from: Sundi Jo P.S. YOU'RE AWESOME!

It’s that terribly famous word we all hate to hear, when it comes to our writing:

“No.”

photo credit: sean macentee (creative commons)

I’m guest posting for Jeff Goins today on my experience of rejection from a publisher. Check out the rest of the post here..

Thanks for reading. I'm so blessed you chose to stop by Lead. Love. Laugh. Rejected by a Publisher: Lessons Learned [Guest Post] is a post from: Sundi Jo P.S. YOU'RE AWESOME!

Since reading David Platt’s book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, the reality of my role as a disciple of Jesus Christ to share the gospel with others hasn’t left my mind.

When Our Last Great Hope: Awakening the Great Commission by Ronnie Floyd got into my hands, that reality got even clearer. Thank you Thomas Nelson for investing in this book.

Floyd challenges us to start the ripple effect now of spreading The Gospel with others. Ready for a question to get you moving?

“How many people do we encounter every day who are dying of thirst for the living water only Christ can provide, but we’re too busy to tell them?

Yes, it stung a little for me too. 

I remember asking for donations for a missions trip once and I got a letter back from some friends that said although they supported what I wanted to do, they couldn’t donate money to a cause outside of the United States. It didn’t make a lot of sense to me then, but it does now.

Here is Ronnie’s answer:

“But keep this in mind: a Jewish man first shared the gospel in Rome; a Roman took it to France; a Frenchman took it to Scandinavia; a Scandinavian to Ireland; an Irishman to Scotland. Every nation where the gospel has been preached had someone travel there from abroad. We serve a God who loves busting borders and knocking down walls.

The urgency is real. Sometimes we put it in the back of our minds and put it on our “to do later list.” At least I do anyway. It’s so easy for me to forget that people are dying and going to hell everyday. 

Everyday!

“It’s a ‘rinse and repeat’ cycle until the whole world knows, until the waters of the world are clotted with new believers, until there is no one left to tell. Then, of course, Christ Himself will come.

We make excuses for not sharing our faith with others.

• We’re too scared
• We need a seminary degree to talk the Bible
• People won’t listen

When it comes down to it, it all boils down to fear.We’re afraid. What if Jesus would’ve been afraid? What if the twelve disciples would’ve just given up after his death? I don’t want to be asking “what if’s?”

“Jesus didn’t teach casual discipleship. He taught that it had a cost, that it required painful decisions, and that at times we need to walk away from other things we might have intended to do.

This book rocked my world! Now to put the words in action.

Thank you Ronnie Floyd for your willingness to invest the time into writing this book. Thank you for the “get off your butt and get it together” prompting with grace.

What book has rocked your world? Comment below…

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Thanks for reading. I'm so blessed you chose to stop by Lead. Love. Laugh. Our Last Great Hope – Time for an Awakening is a post from: Sundi Jo P.S. YOU'RE AWESOME!

I am super excited to announce the release of my first eBook. After putting some of my experiences of weight loss in words, I’m happy to be sharing it with you. Welcome to Step Away from that Diet. 

About the eBook

Step Away from that Diet is a small book put together to share with you what I have learned through the journey of losing weight.

In the book, I share ten steps to losing weight and gaining the confidence you’ve been searching for. The book is short, sweet, and straight to the point.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you find yourself eating, even when you’re not hungry but you don’t know why?
• Do you feel you have to starve yourself to lose weight?
• Have you tried all the popular diets, only to gain the weight back, plus more?

Here is a glance at two of the ten topics we cover in Step Away from that Diet:

• Saying Goodbye to Dieting
• Eat. Eat. Eat.

How to Get a Copy

Step Away from that Diet is currently available for FREE!

Why?

Because I want to offer you valuable information that I know you will benefit from. I want to provide you with the answers that worked for me in starting on a new life journey.

Simply join my newsletter list and Step Away from that Diet will quickly be delivered to your inbox for download.

Doing so will automatically subscribe you to free updates and other valuable goodies. There will be no spamming! 

Have You Read it Yet?

If you’ve already read Step Away from that Diet, I hope you have walked away with a fresh perspective on losing weight and gaining confidence.

Did you enjoy it? 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the book. Please email your feedback or feel free to share them in the comments below. If you enjoyed the book enough to share with your friends, here are some ways to do so:

Feel free to email me your thoughts and feedback or share them in the comments below. If you liked it, you are welcome to share it with others. Here are a few ideas:

• Tweet about it.
• Share it on Facebook.
• Email this link.
• Print and give a copy to a friend. (Don’t charge or change)

Join the Facebook Support Group

And here are some other ways to get involved:

• Share your thoughts and takeaways on Twitter, using the hashtag #diethaters.
• Visit my Facebook page to talk weight loss and any other topics you’re interested in chatting about.

Ready for your free eBook?

Thanks for reading. I'm so blessed you chose to stop by Lead. Love. Laugh. Step Away from that Diet: Ten Steps To Losing Weight and Gaining the Confidence You’ve Been Searching For is a post from: Sundi Jo P.S. YOU'RE AWESOME!

When I hear some non believers talk about their struggles with God, one of the reasons for their struggle is suffering. One of the big questions is often,

“Why would God make people to suffer?”

photo credit: spoonman (creative commons)

If only they could see past that question. If only they could see the love and comfort God gives us during times of suffering. We don’t suffer because God makes us suffer. Does he allow it? Yes. I don’t have an answer to the why of many sufferings, but there are things I do know:

• God allows suffering because we live in a fallen world.
• During our suffering, we have an opportunity to draw closer to Him.
• Our suffering provides an opportunity to show the love of Christ to others.
• Suffering is always teaching us something.

Suffering sucks! I won’t deny it.

We suffer through losses of friends and family. We suffer through physical and emotional sickness. We suffer through actions of our past.

There are some physical things I’m suffering through right now, and I struggle with it. I have asked God why. I’ve gotten mad. I’ve yelled. I’ve cried. But then I get back on the train of trusting and ride with my God, because I know he is in control. I know regardless of what is going on in my life, He is still for me. If He is for us, who can be against us?  

I’m choosing to trust that his plan is greater than mine, even though I don’t know what that plan is.  Some days I screw that up and try to fix things myself. He’s quick to give me reminders that I’m trying to do it myself.

When we think about our sufferings, and not that they aren’t hard to go through, we haven’t even begun to suffer. I am reminded in God’s Word that if it weren’t for the suffering of Jesus Christ, our sufferings would be a million times worse. Not only would we suffer physically on this earth during our lifetimes, but we would do the same for eternity.

When I begin to think about the reality of that, my pain seems so much smaller. Joyce Meyer says,

“Suffering is inevitable, but God is not glorified through our suffering. He is glorified when we have a good attitude during our suffering – and He wants us to be victorious!

She’s right on. Suffering is going to happen. We live in a fallen world.

Can we choose to glorify God through these sufferings instead of glorifying those things we are suffering through? 

Oh how I’m preaching this to myself! There are many days I still need an attitude adjustment and God is at work. I’m so grateful for his patience and grace when I’m playing victim rather than victor.

In case you didn’t know, we are loved by a pretty awesome God!

Question: Are you suffering through something right now and struggling to see God’s glory through the process? Share if you wish below…

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Thanks for reading. I'm so blessed you chose to stop by Lead. Love. Laugh. The Glory of Suffering is a post from: Sundi Jo P.S. YOU'RE AWESOME!

From Sundi Jo: This is a guest post by Kristen Feola. She is is the author of the book, The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast, an encouraging resource for individuals and groups who are participating in the Daniel Fast. She has worked as a personal trainer, nutritional consultant, First Place 4 Health leader, and fitness instructor. Kristen and her family attend James River Assembly in Ozark, Missouri. Vist her blog or follow her on Twitter.

What is The Daniel Fast? 

The Daniel Fast is a 21-day partial fast based upon the prophet Daniel’s exeriences as recorded in the Bible (Daniel 9 and 10). The purpose is to restrict commonly enjoyed foods as an act of worship and consecration to God. Someone who chooses to undergo a Daniel Fast demonstrates a physical commitment that reflects a deep spiritual desire for a more intimate relationship with the Lord.

How it Changed my Life

When I participated in my first Daniel Fast with my church in 2009, I had no idea how it would change the course of my life.

On day 1 of the fast, the Lord woke me up very early. As I sat at my kitchen table reading the Bible, I sensed that I should start a blog. At first, I was resistant to the idea because at the time, blogging was trendy, and I didn’t want to follow the crowd.  However, the impression from the Lord was so strong that I decided to go for it. My plan was to use the blog as a personal journal about what God showed me on the fast. I didn’t expect many people to follow it. Soon, though, I would learn that God had much bigger plans for my writing!

That same evening, while cooking dinner, my husband and I started talking about the dish I was making, Marinated Zucchini. I commented that it would be a good recipe to share with people at church who were on the fast. My husband suggested I post the recipe on my blog. He also mentioned that I should use some of the recipes I’d created for a vegan cookbook I’d written but never had published.

I dusted off my old cookbook and began posting daily. Once people at church heard about my blog, they began reading my site for encouragement and support. Even after the fast was finished, I continued to post devotions and recipes. More people learned about my site. Before long, a local Daniel Fast blog quickly blossomed into a world-wide ministry.

Now, more than two years later, I’m in awe of all that has happened. God has blessed me in more ways than I could have asked for or even imagined! I never dreamed that my blog would lead to a book contract with Zondervan. I’m humbled by the opportunities the Lord has given me to share the message of prayer and fasting with His people. I give all glory to Him!

God has great plans for you as well. Your mind can’t even begin to comprehend what he has in store for you! The Bible says that makes it clear that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Are you hungry for the Lord? Do you want to know Him more? Don’t allow fear, laziness, or the excuse, “It’s too hard!” keep you from stepping out in faith and committing to a Daniel Fast in 2012. You can do it. God will give you the strength and the perseverance you need. Seek the Lord through prayer and fasting, and watch God do the impossible in your life!

How to Make Your Daniel Fast More Effective: 

• Find a friend who will fast with you and be your accountability partner.
• A week before your fast begins, stock up on food items you’ll need.
• Make double portions of recipes and freeze them to use later during the fast.
• Read your Bible and pray first thing in the morning before your day begins.
• Record prayer requests and answers in a journal.
• Use The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast to help you on your journey.

Question: What has The Daniel Fast done for you? Comment below..

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Thanks for reading. I'm so blessed you chose to stop by Lead. Love. Laugh. How the Daniel Fast Changed My Life [A Guest Post from Author Kristen Feola] is a post from: Sundi Jo P.S. YOU'RE AWESOME!

I get tired of pretending. Tired of the make believe – convincing other people that we’re someone else, only for our true colors to shine through. That used to be me.

photo credit: dr. rawhead (creative commons)

Sometimes it still can be. 

As I write this post, my heart is breaking for a friend who hasn’t stopped pretending. She is walking down a path full of lies and doesn’t seem to care if anyone notices. Perhaps she’s not pretending anymore. It’s possible the person I thought I knew was the false identity.

I have to admit that I never saw it coming. Either she was a really good actress or the veil over my eyes was too heavy. Either way, the truth is out now and it saddens me terribly. She is walking in the devil’s trap and doesn’t seem to have the desire to get out of it. The light that once shone around her is gone. Nothing about her lifestyle says Jesus.

It reminds me of Jesus talking about the vine and the branches. He said it clearly,

“If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

I have taken the radical step to confront her, but so far it’s only been one way communication. It’s a hard step to take, but I’m willing to risk losing her friendship versus continuing to watch her take the path she is taking.

Seeing these actions in the life of my friend has me taking a deeper look into myself. Here are a few questions I’m asking myself:

• When people see me do they see Jesus?
• Are my actions backing up my words?
• Am I bearing good fruit?

These are questions we should all be taking a deeper look at. If we’re unsure of our answers, then it’s certainly time to step up and make the changes to answer yes to these questions.

Do people see Jesus in you? How do your branches look?

I would close this post with a question, but I’m not sure what would be fitting. Feel free to fill it in for me.  

Thanks for reading. I'm so blessed you chose to stop by Lead. Love. Laugh. The Path of Pretending is a post from: Sundi Jo P.S. YOU'RE AWESOME!

This past December I knew it was time to make some changes. I could feel myself slipping back into some old ways that I wasn’t happy with. Specifically my eating habits and the lack of exercise. Refusing to allow myself to get on the scale, I couldn’t deny that something was changing. My clothes were getting a little tight.

The fear of returning to the 330 lb. miserable person I used to be was creeping in and I wasn’t happy about it. Not to mention the fact that I was writing an eBook on weight loss. I felt like a hypocrite. During that time I could feel God calling me to fast. He was doing the same with two of my closest friends.

So in January we decided to start the Daniel Fast. 21 days with only fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.  Prior to starting I sought out some recipe books for this particular fast. That’s when I found The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast, written by Kristen Feola. Not only was it loaded with amazing recipes, Feola gave some great insight into the spiritual aspects of doing the Daniel Fast.

She shares over 100 recipes, as well as a 21-day devotional guide to lead you through a daily journey with God.

I immediately knew starting the fast that God would be working with me regarding self-control. My mind started thinking, Wow! I can eat as much as I want because it’s all healthy. God said otherwise. I was still worshiping food. I was still focused on me. But He was ready to change that.

As time went on and I drew closer to God versus the pleasures of food, I recognized just how much more I was in tune to Him speaking to my heart. Things were clearer. Tasks I were to take on made more sense. As time went on I found myself wanting to be more obedient – not because I had too, because I wanted to.

Here are just a few things that happened during my 21 day fast:

• I went back to the gym
• I started drinking a gallon of water again
• My clothes started fitting
• I wasn’t as fatigued
• I got a book deal
• I was more in tune to the prayer needs of others
• I desired God more than I did food

I didn’t do the Daniel Fast because I wanted to lose weight. That was just an added bonus. I did it because I knew God was trying to get my attention and there was too much noise in my world. I needed to be still in Him, sacrifice something that was starting to become an idol, and put my focus back where it needed to be.

I’m so grateful I did. I’m grateful for the extra accountability and support I had from my friends and sisters in Christ. Jesus says when two or more are gathered, He’s there. We as a group got various revelations. Some were for one another. It was pretty amazing!

If there’s something you’re struggling with, I encourage you to consider fasting. If 21 days isn’t what God is calling you to do, go seven. Do one day. Ask God to show you. He will.

Back to Kristen Feola’s book for a second. There is no reason for you to think the Daniel Fast includes starving yourself and eating the same type of vegetables everyday. She provides a wide variety of recipes, categorized into appetizers, meals, soups, etc. Who knew you could do so many things with a sweet potato? And I didn’t find a recipe I didn’t like.

As a matter of fact, I’m sticking as close to the plan as possible, because of the health benefits. Don’t get me wrong. When a steak comes my way I’ll eat it, but I want to stay on the path with this type of food. Not to mention it’s pretty delicious!

Question: If you’ve done the Daniel Fast, what did you get from it? If you haven’t, are you considering doing so? Comment below…

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Thanks for reading. I'm so blessed you chose to stop by Lead. Love. Laugh. What I Learned from the Daniel Fast is a post from: Sundi Jo P.S. YOU'RE AWESOME!