Do you trust God?

Hand extended

Normally I don’t promote other people’s products – I want you on my site purchasing mine!  :D – and in fact, I have not even read the following book to even know whether to recommend it to you or not. 

BUT the video book trailer is what caught my eye tonight on my Google Reader.  I wanted to share it with you tonight.  Sheila Walsh does an excellent job with video, challenging us on whether we trust God.

Do you trust Him?

Waka Waka, Africa and zumba

Giraffe in Africa

Those who are my family and my friends, who read my blog, or who listen to my audios here at Tablet Of My Heart, know that Africa is very much on mine, my husband Ray’s, and our oldest daughter Heather’s heart. We’ve been praying for several years now to go on a short-term missions/pleasure trip to Africa. 

You also may have recently read my blog about our daughter Heather teaching zumba classes. She just finished teaching her summer class, and the classes start again this month.

When Heather showed me on a Gmail instant message this You Tube video of a class doing zumba aerobics to Shakira’s song “Waka Waka” (for Africa), I absolutely LOVED it!!!  It gives me goose bumps and makes me want to go to Africa that much more – and dance! Yes, I am going to learn how to dance and do zumba aerobics like this, LOL!   Heather is already making up some new routines for her class starting soon, and she is including these steps as a routine, so now I can’t wait.

Heather and Ray, we will go to Africa one day!  Amen!

The lyrics to the song are also powerful and I feel very significant for us as Christians. We are soldiers of the cross, on the frontlines of war. The world is watching us as ambassadors for Christ. But we’ve got it all in Jesus Christ – just believe in Him in faith!  And when you fall, get back up – listen to our God. It is yours and my time to shine for Jesus! Finally, raise your expectations of what God is going to do on this earth, for HIS glory!

I also believe the song is very significant for Africa. I have always believed that Africa has a very powerful, important destiny as a nation (as does Israel and the United States).  May the people of Africa, Israel, and the U.S. fulfill that incredible destiny for God’s kingdom on earth! Shine, Africa!  Shine, Israel!  Shine, U.S.A.!

(Important Disclaimer: I don’t speak African, so if any of the African words in these lyrics say something bad, please forgive me! I am assuming they are all okay!). Shakira released it as the FIFA World Cup 2010 Official Anthem (for men’s national association football teams – the word football meaning soccer).

Here are the lyrics to Waka Waka by Shakira, followed by the You Tube video with the zumba class. Enjoy!  I’d love to hear your comments on this one.

Waka Waka

You’re a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up
And dust yourself off
And back in the saddle

You’re on the frontline
Everyone’s watching
You know it’s serious
We’re getting closer
This isn’t over

The pressure is on
You feel it
But you’ve got it all
Believe it

When you fall get up
Oh oh…
And if you fall get up
Oh oh…

Tsamina mina
Zangalewa
Cuz this is Africa

Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
This time for Africa

Listen to your god
This is our motto
Your time to shine
Dont wait in line
Y vamos por Todo

People are raising
Their Expectations
Go on and feed them
This is your moment
No hesitations

Today’s your day
I feel it
You paved the way
Believe it

If you get down
Get up Oh oh…
When you get down
Get up eh eh…

Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
This time for Africa

Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa

Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa

Hinds’ Feet on My High Places

Hind on the mountain top

Sometimes you are sailing along in life and everything is going well. Your marriage is close and happy, your kids are obeying you, your finances are being blessed, your business is thriving.  Your husband is all over you, you sold a book or audio, and someone spoke a timely and needed word of encouragement to you on Facebook!

Other times, the enemy satan  is wearing you out and all you want to do is go to bed, pull the covers over your head, and get a good night’s sleep.  You are gaining weight instead of losing, the house is a mess, and someone is verbally fencing you for no good reason, other than they don’t have anything better to do than to find fault with someone who accidentally came across their unhappy path. It’s times like these that we can go to God’s word and be encouraged and lifted up with His love, joy, and peace.

Habakkuk 3:19 (NASB) says, “ The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places.” 

When you are tired and weary, come to Jesus. He will give you living waters to drink. He will give you hinds’ feet to walk up, even to leap across, those challenging mountains of life.  God will give you the strength you need and will help you. 

You will climb higher and higher to the summit, sure footed, because God is with you every step of the way, leading, guiding, and protecting you all the way, until you are safely home in His arms of everlasting Love.

***Did you enjoy this post?  Want to draw closer to God each day?  Learn more here.

Little Italy: Each day is a new adventure

Peppers

Do you love Italian food?  I do, too!  Today our daughter Heather and I went to “Little Italy,” or Cinzetti’s in Overland Park, KS, for her church’s ladies’ brunch. This restaurant is an all-you-can-eat Italian feast, with 60 authentic dishes for a very reasonable price. It was heavenly. I felt like Julie in the movie Julie and Julia, eating the delicious bruschetta on the toast (this was the best part of the meal for me today!)

Some of the tasty foods on their menu that I tried are:

• Bruschetta and bread – yes, I went back for more and more!
• Fresh-cut fruit (melon, cantelope, grapes)
• Insalata Mediterraneo
• House Italian Salad
• Chicken Marsala Rotini
• Warm bread pudding (Did I mention that this is NOT the place to diet?!)

Other dishes you may enjoy there are:

• Eggplant Parmesan
• Lasagne Bolognese
• Italian Sausage and Peppers
• Mixed Grilled Vegetables
• Fried Calamari with Arrabiata Sauce
• Marinated Mushrooms
• Homemade Minestrone Soup
• Hawaiian Pizza
• Home-made meatballs
• Spaghetti Marinara
• Farfalle Carbonara
• Fresh Fruit Tartlets
• Hand-dipped Gelato
• Chocolate-dipped Strawberries
• Tiramisu

I can’t pronounce all these words correctly and don’t know what some of them are, but I assure you that you will not leave this place hungry! 

What I really loved about the restaurant, other than the great food and service, was the way it was decorated. Mounds of fresh fruit, green and red peppers, purple eggplants, cans and glass jars of red tomatoes, olives, and capers, and beautiful glass bottles filled with oil and peppers were stacked openly in view on counters, displayed in front of the open kitchens, where chefs in white aprons and chef hats cooked the meals.

Friendly waiters and waitresses served you glasses of water with lemon, pink lemonade, sweet tea, or cups of hot coffee or creamy cappucino.  A wall rack  contained a variety of white and red wines.  The atmosphere was warm, inviting, and vibrant with color – an artist’s dream!

What I enjoyed the most about the afternoon, though, was spending time with Heather. I am so very thankful to God that Heather is not only my cherished daughter, but also my very dear friend.  

I am also grateful that while at the brunch, I was able to spend time with my long-time friend Debbie Nagel, and her two daughters Christen and Amber, who are like daughters to Ray and me. (I can’t believe “little” Amber is getting married soon!  Ray is giving her away at the wedding, as her dad passed away several years ago. I remember when Amber used to come to our house and play with our kids!)

From the book, 7 Ways to Be a Smarter Mom by Kasey Johnson that Heather loaned me to read today (no, it wasn’t a major hint from Heather, lol – she was reading it and I wanted to borrow it!), here’s an excerpt from the preface chapter on page 8 that I wanted to encourage you with today:

“When I seek God’s voice, I discover more about what it is He wants me to be. My challenges and temptations will be different than yours, but we share one very important element: we’ve never been at this exact place in our lives before. Each day is a new adventure. Each season of life brings new discoveries…”.

Whether it is trying a new restaurant like Cinzetti’s, going to a ladies’ brunch and meeting new faces, signing up for a college course, going horseback riding or skydiving for the first time, traveling to Africa or Italy or the next town you’ve never visited, inviting your neighbor over for coffee, making a decision to lose weight this year, writing that book, trying something new for your business, or spending more time with family and friends, let each day bring something fresh, inspiring, and adventurous into your life.  LIVE, dear friend, really LIVE!  Buon appetite!  Enjoy this gift of life God has given you – and thank Him!

Here are some videos of my great time there today. (I hope to go back soon, to take Ray and Leah to try it!)  Enjoy!

Vlog of me and Heather at Cinzetti’s

Vlog of Christen, Amber, and Debbie at Cinzetti’s

Vlog of Bruschetta and Salads buffet

Vlog of chefs at salad buffet

Vlog of bruschetta and toast

Vlog of pizza, egg, and dessert buffets

Vlog of cappucino and plate

Vlog of Heather by waterfall

The precious women of God in our lives

Patty Bartlett, Beth Jones, Diane Bishop

Today was a long but good day.  This morning, my friends Patty Bartlett and Diane Bishop, the speakers for our Wash Over Me ladies’ retreat here in Butler, stopped by so we could pray about the retreat.

I laid out Ray’s grandmother’s antique china teacups on the dining table, lit a scented candle, put on some water to boil, and set out the honey and a variety of herbal teas for us to enjoy sipping as we chatted and prayed.  Here is a pic of the three of us, sitting in my dining room today.  Don’t ya just love the bathroom toilet as the right elegant touch for the photo’s background, LOL! 

After tea and prayer,  I met sweet friends Lois Graham and Kimberly Ehlers in my Prayer, Purpose, Passion webinar room at CWA to give them a “tour” of the room before our exciting Step Up! webinar on August 31. 

Oh, you should have joined us girls today – we had so much fun and laughs!  But the webinar will be even better.  If you have not already signed up for this event, be sure to sign up today as room is limited! It is going to be a blast!

This afternoon as I reflected on the day, I felt so thankful to Jesus for the wonderful women of God He has brought into my life. I had a poor relationship with my mother growing up as a child, and God has seen to it to bring many spiritual mothers and sisters across my path through the years to pray for me, encourage me, and impart His truth and wisdom into my life. I don’t know what I would do without these beautiful women of God who are such precious gifts to me.

What about you?  Who are the women in your life who are important and who help you to walk along in this journey of life?  Be sure to let them know how thankful you are for their presence in your life and how much you love and appreciate them!

PS:  Want to connect with women of God and make new friends?  Sign up for our Step Up! webinar here.

Holding on to those we love: Making our husbands and families priority

Family picnic

I haven’t been ignoring you lately with not blogging as much!  I’ve just been busy getting ready for three major events coming up:

• My Step Up! webinar on August 31 with Lois Graham and Kim Ehlers
• My Wash Over Me retreat on September 17-18
• My speaking engagement in Phoenix at She Shall Be Called Woman conference in October.

To help me stay on track, I use a task management system that I love, Manymoon. It will help you to  keep focused on your priority to-do’s, breaking down your tasks each day. You receive an emailed copy of your daily tasks as a reminder after you have entered them on the site.  This helps if you’re really busy the night before, and when you open your email in the morning and see the list, it’s an “Oh, yeah!” moment – and then you don’t forget your important to-do’s!    

I also use a Franklin Covey Dayplanner to stay organized, and am the queen of sticky notes.   (I LOVE sticky notes!)  What tools do you use to help you with your busy schedule? Many people use their palm pilot, laptop, cell phone, or Ipad.

No matter how much I have to do each day, though, I don’t ever want to be so busy that my family comes last place. One of the reasons wahm’s have an at-home business is to be able to spend more time with our families. Yet how often does the business take over our lives and things get out of balance – and we’re putting our husbands, kids, and friends on hold so we can get just one more thing done for the day? 

It’s important for us as wives to connect with our husbands each day to build that relationship. This is especially true if you are a woman who is struggling in her marriage and feels very alone – and needs to draw closer to her man.

This morning at work, Ray had to respond to a call  that was a house fire. His patient was a man in his 70′s, whose arms had been burned. The reason they were burned is that he was trying to pull his wife out of the fire. She was allegedly stuck in a window, and he would not let her go. Unfortunately, the wife did not live.

I thought this was an incredibly sad, but potent story.  A man who loved his wife so much, he would not let her go to save her, at the risk of his own life.  It is what Christ did for us the Church. He died so that we could have an intimate relationship and live forever with God.

I encourage you, take some time today to spend with those important people in your life, making your husband, children, family, and friends a top priority.  Hold onto those you love, making each moment count.

Step UP Webinar! Be an overcomer and fulfill your great purpose!

Woman stepping up

Are you fulfilling your great purpose right now, today?  Or are you struggling to just  get through the day?

Are you an overcomer – or are you overcome by the stress in your life?  Do you need an afternoon to relax and to be encouraged that God has a wonderful plan for your life and a great purpose? Then this webinar is just for you!

Join Lois Graham and Kimberly Ehlers at my third webinar, Step UP! You will LOVE these precious friends of mine. They are anointed women of God!

 There is no charge for this webinar, and you will receive bonus goodies just for coming.

To learn more, click here!

Videos of trip: Get away someplace new

Do you need to just get away someplace new for some relaxation?  This week Ray and I went to Osage Beach, MO, for his work conference.  We both really needed the time away from the daily routine. 

Maybe you can’t physically get away, but you can take a few minutes each day to just pull away and be with God for rest and refreshment.  Learn more here.

 Below are videos of our trip on the way there, at the Mexican restaurant, and of the lake with the cute ducks. Enjoy!

Vlog of cliffs on way to Ozarks

Vlog of unique church in Weaubleau, MO

Vlog of pretty lake on drive to Osage Beach

Vlog of jacuzzi and swimming pool

Vlog of Mexican restaurant – Ray ordered grouper (fish!) with chipotle!

Vlog of lake with cute ducks

Vlog of Bahama Bistro  – Ray ordered lobster bisque and delicious lemon cake, I ordered warm rolls and spinach-avocado dip spread

Vlog of decorative flowers in shop – for Heather

Face your fears: I went parasailing!

Tan-Tar-A resort

This week Ray and I went away alone for four days to Osage Beach, MO (Lake of the Ozarks) for his work conference. We had a great time in the air conditioned hotel room, relaxing, eating out Mexican or ordering room service, and spending some much needed time together. 

The Tan-Tar-A resort offers a variety of activities to do while there:  swimming in the pools or lake, having a nice soak in the jacuzzi, riding a wave runner on the lake, horseback riding on a trail, being pampered with a massage or facial in the salon, playing putt putt golf, and much more. The best part of all was that Ray’s work covered the expense of the hotel, gas,and his meals! 

I was able to pray for more direction from God while there, read, sleep in, shop, and just get away from the routine of dishes, laundry, and my work. I wanted to ride a wave runner but Ray thought I should go parasailing, something I did NOT want to do.

Ray has gone parasailing before and loved it.  Of course, working in the emergency field as a paramedic, firefighter, and policeman for over 25 years, he thrives off excitement – emergency workers are what some call “adrenaline junkies.”  People who work in the emergency fields often don’t feel “normal” without that adrenaline rush. 

He encouraged me to face my fears and said I would have fun, so I went for the first time in my life.  I should have known by the grin on his face as I was walking out the hotel room door NOT to believe him!   (This rule also applies to him telling you to “Try this” – candy, food, etc.  It will either be incredibly sour and make you want to spit it immediately out, or be so Cajun hot that you are running for water. Ask any number of family or friends, who he loves to see choking with watered eyes, while he is laughing hard!)

But he’s my husband, so I thought I should listen to him!  When I told the clerk at the marine desk that I was nervous and it was my first time, the captain who was nearby joked, “Oh, that’s ok.  It’s our first time doing this, too.”  :)  There was a boatful of first-timers, all of them teenagers.  They went before me and they all loved it!  This was reassuring as I was hooked on by the co-captain.

Have you ever been in a situation that you couldn’t get out of and it was a little too late?

As soon as the co-captain had me lifted high up in the air, I began to literally PANIC.  It was not the height that scared me, but that I was unable to physically hold onto the little black straps with my hands (see black straps in beginning of video below).  I didn’t have the physical strength in my hands and forearms to keep holding on.  Ok, ok, I need to start seriously PUMPING IRON!  If I let go of the straps, I could fall backward and fall OUT from an incredible height!

I was screaming, LET ME DOWN, LET ME DOWN, but nobody on the boat heard me. Instead, everyone in the boat was looking up at me, smiling and waving. People riding by in waverunners and other boats also would look up at me, wave, and smile.  Ray and our oldest daughter Heather thought this part was hilarious, and laughed and laughed. I’m glad I provide comic relief for our family!

I knew there was NOTHING I could do by now, so I just began to pray for peace (and for God to get me back on the boat ALIVE!) and told myself to JUST CALM DOWN! 

I improvised by wrapping my elbows and forearms around the black hand straps to hold on, and was finally able to look around and SEE the gorgeous view. Don’t let your fears keep you from seeing the beauty all around you!  Anyway, what else was there to do up there? (besides panic and wonder how I could get Ray back, lol!)

I’d told the captain that I wanted to be dipped “just a little” coming back down, so I got my feet wet. The “dip” is supposed to be the funnest part of the ride.  (I thought it was fun, probably because I knew it’d be over soon!)

Below are videos of me parasailing – going up high into the air, then the dip in the lake and getting back onto the boat, sharing with everyone how I panicked initially.  Ray said he is very proud of me and that it is an accomplishment. I will probably never parasail again, but I did overcome my fear.  I went parasailing! 

What fears do you need to face today?  What risks do you need to take?  God will be your help and your peace, and you will be more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8: 38)

Vlog of me just before parasailing

Vlog of me parasailing – apparently the co-captain got bored at times and would turn my Flip recorder sideways!

Vlog of me getting my feet dipped in water

From Administration to Zumba: using your gifts for God

Gift bag

What are your spiritual gifts, talents, and skills?  Are you using them for God – or are you holding back? Or is someone else trying to hold you back from using them?

Tonight I went to see our daughter Heather teach her last zumba aerobics class before they take a break until September 2010.  I was so blessed to watch her administrating with the purple zumba tshirts, listen to her share a short devotional and pray, and then see her teach the hour-long class.

Usually many more attend the class, but I noticed tonight how everyone there was having a lot of fun.  (I tried to keep up with the zumba steps! LOL)  From Administration to Zumba (A to Z!),  Heather is using her gifts for God.

What about you? Do you know what your gifts are?  They can be found in Ephesians 4: 11, 1 Corinthians 12: 8-10, and 1 Corinthians 13: 27-30.   You also have natural talents and skills that God wants you to use and to bless others with.  Remember Jesus was a carpenter before He began his public ministry!

Study the gospels, and observe how Jesus used the spiritual gifts. He used them perfectly, and He is always our best example whom we should follow. 

The gifts are all rooted in God’s love. They are never earned or deserved, but are given to us by God’s grace to further His kingdom on earth.  They are never to be used to promote self, but are to be used to lift up and honor Jesus Christ.

 Women are not always encouraged to use their gifts, sometimes not even by their husbands and their pastors. But God wants you to use your gifts and talents for His glory. I encourage you to find out what they are, and then begin using them for His kingdom.  Below are videos of Heather doing a short devotional and teaching the zumba class.

Vlog of Heather using her gift of administration with the zumba tshirts:

Vlog of Heather doing short devotional and praying

Vlog of Heather and class doing grapevine in zumba class

Vlog of Heather teaching zumba class

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