Her name is Dorothy.  Dorothy GALE.  
GALE i.e. Storm, Strong Wind...a TWISTER!  There is it...right there in her name we see a foreshadowing of her journey.  This entry has been 'brewing' in my heart for weeks.  Hang with me...
this may be long...but it might be the last for a while.  
Last night, here in Phoenix...we had what they are calling a 1,000 year storm.  Over 5.00 inches was measured in some parts of our city.  When I saw these pics...I kinda took it as a 'sign' to finish the blog.  TODAY!!

My 'seeeeester-friend' Tina...talk about a lot of things.  We watch TV show together, talk about the reality of BIGFOOT,  what we are eating...& we talk about the weather.  Tina lives about 20 miles from my house (or so Google says)...so we message-talk.  Here are some of our deep conversations & lessons I have learned.

Tina:  "I wonder what happened to all those thunderstorms we were suppose to have all day?"
Me: "What...more storms?  Maybe they blew away!"
Tina: "If I was a meteorologist I would be pretty embarrassed right now!"

• LESSON: Even with sophisticated technology, a precise prediction of a storm is not possible.   The arrival, the impact, the endurance, the path of a storm...is out of our control.  All we can control is our RESPONSE.

Tina: "Is it raining at your house yet?"
Me: "No, it's clear...but windy.  I just hung my laundry out to dry!"
Tina: "It's probably heading your way.  Do you know Messenger says you live in a trailer park?"
Me: "That sounds appropriate...I'm a hillbilly!"

• LESSON: Everyone's storm looks different.  So you can't judge what someone else is going through.

Me:  "Is it raining at your house?  It is pouring down over here!"
Tina: "Yes, it took me almost an hour to get home!  I'm on the sofa!"
Me: "Me too...my laundry is soaked."

• LESSON:  Everyone faces the STORM.
  

Tina: "Do see those dark clouds rolling in?  You might experience a west side storm."
Me: "Yea, we are at a gig not far from you.  Looking at them right now"
(Later that night)
Tina: "Did you get rain?"
Me: "Yes...poured down during the gig...still sprinkling"

• LESSON: To understand another person's storm, you might need to leave your comfort zone. 

Tina: "I'm working from home today, I didn't think it was safe to drive in."
Me: "Glad you stayed home, Flood warnings till 2:30.  Wear your boots (even in the house just in case).  Let me know if I should air-lift provisions.
Tina: "Will do"

• LESSON: Don't ride out the storm alone.  Know who to call!
  

Me:  "Are you watching Project Runway?"
Tina:"Switching over to it now"
Me: "I'm so ready for her to go home"
Tina: "What is that she made?"
Me:  "Is it storming?"
Tina: "I don't know...is it?"
LESSON:  Project Runway is AWESOME!!

Ok, so you know me well enough by now...that you know I'm not going to talk about 'weather' storms, RIGHT??

Storms take many shapes & are called many names.

Forms of a Storm 
     Death
     Divorce
     Disabling Accidents
     Pain   (Physical injury, illness)
     Separation/abandonment
     War or act of terror
     Natural disaster (flood, tornado, fire...etc)
     Domestic Violence
     Loss of job, home, possessions, etc
     Rape or violation
     Surprise/embarassment...etc.
           ETC. is IMPORTANT.  Storms look different.
If I didn't mention what you are facing...you can add it to this list. 

Although we can't predict the storm...we can prepare for it!



1.  PREPARE YOUR HEART
Do you get those storm warning alerts on your phone?  
John 16:33 is a storm warning. "in this world you WILL HAVE...storms." BEEEP>>>>BEEEEP>>>>>BEEEEEEP!!  The warning has been sent...the prep work is our responsibility.   

Ever see those people on TV who live in coastal regions prepping for a storm? It's a way of life to them.  They know the seasons.  They know the signs.  They feel the pressure in the air.  They already have ply-wood, nails, duct tape, bottled water, batteries.   They even build their structures with the STORM IN MIND!  SNAP!!  Then, they board up, stock up, and get up...to higher ground.   They don't wait for the storm to hit...to get ready.  

Once a wise 6yr old boy...said to me...
"Mommie, why are you crying?"
Me: "Josh, I'm very sad.  I've gotten some bad news."
He said, "Mommie, stablish your heart...like in James"
He was speaking of his Bible verse from Sunday School. James 5:8   
"Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."  KJV
Don't wait till the storm hits to pray, "Oh God...give me strength!!" "Oh God, give me wisdom" 
STABLISH YOUR HEART. Build your house for the storm.

Sometime...there is NO TIME.  
Have you seen the movie "THE IMPOSSIBLE"?  It's based on a true story about a family who survived the  2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Watch the trailer.  They had no idea...suddenly their whole world changed.
But...their foundation was strong!

2. PREPARE YOUR RESPONSE
Remember Dorothy?  
Her response was to run.
She ran because of the thing with TOTO.
And she ran because she was mis-understood by her family & felt she was  only 'in the way'.
What is your M.O. (Modus operandi) How do you respond?
My M.O. is running.  I am Dorothy!
I gather up my feelings in a basket and run!  Darn those flying monkeys!!

How we respond to storms...(hurt, disappointment, betrayal, injustice, abuse, pain, heartache___________ fill in the blank)
    Our response is where our power lies.
    Our response will reveal our prep-work.
    Our response will reveal the Source of our strength.
    Our response writes our testimony.

•  "Life is 10% of what happens, 90% how you react."  -Charles Swindoll, Pastor

• "It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."                                                        - Epictetus  AD c. 55 – 135  Ancient Greek Philosopher. 
  
• "I have no choice about whether or not I have Parkinson's.  I have nothing but choices about how I react to it."    - Michael J. Fox, actor

• "It's not the situation, but whether we react negative or respond positive to the situation that is important."  -  Zig Ziglar,  motivational speaker 
  

• "Have the courage to act instead of react."    -Oliver Wendall Holmes,  SR.  poet,                                                                                                                                                         professor & author.  

I wrote a song...a long time ago.  Mike made a link, you can listen BELOW!! 

• I was in Australia when I wrote it. I was sitting on a cold floor, trying to dry my hair with a tiny room heater the size of envelope, because I had no adapter for my hair dryer.  I had to be on a stage in 1 hr to sing for a huge conference.  I put the Bible in my lap, closeD my eyes, let the Bible flop open...pointed to a verse.  I call it, "PIN THE VERSE ON THE DISASTER."  
  

The Bible fell open to Psalms 62:6.  So, I sat right there...and wrote a song!
See, In my heart...I want to respond to the storm like Job did...he worshiped.

And just when I think I may have moved forward...or become a little more enlightened...BOOOM!! CRASH!! FLASH!!  A storm hits...and reminds me, I need more prep work.  

What have I learned from this blog???

• We can't always predict the storm~

• Everyone's storm is different~ 
  
• Storms happen to everyone ~
• We can't judge another person's storm~
• To understand someone else's storm you have to get off the sofa.
• Storms take make shapes & sizes
• We can prepare for the storm
• Don't trust flying monkeys~
• AND....PROJECT RUNWAY IS AWESOME!!

My favorite movie of all time???
The Wizard of Oz!!
I assume it's yours too.  But, just in case you live under a rock...here's my summary.  

The Wizard of Oz is a metaphorical & magical tale of a beautiful RED HEAD, Dorothy,  with a great singing voice.  She got caught up in a storm that set her on an incredible journey...from a place where everything was black & white...to a place of color - over the rainbow.   The moment Dorothy stepped from her farmhouse, she knew (and her little dog too) she was not where she was suppose to be.  She met a woman, Glinda (who probably owned a BEDAZZLER)  Glinda had a lot of friends who looked up to her & she gave Dorothy vague directions to a man who was known to fix problems.  Along the way Dorothy gathered some friends with special needs.  She accidentally killed 2 evil witches and found out the man who was supposed fix her problems - was full of hot air. She woke up & realized she didn't need anyone to find her way back...because she had the power all along .   

She did all this while singing & dancing on streets of GOLD while wearing FABULOUS SHOES!!

I've spent my whole life in the church.   I've heard (and said) all of the clever religious cliches.  Cliches' are like vague directions -  "FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD" or "TURN IT OVER TO JESUS", "LET GO AND LET GOD."  Stuff we say, when we don't know what to say. 
Especially when FEELINGS are involved.  But, first we categorize feelings into 'GOOD' or 'BAD'.  The "GOOD" ones are allowed & encouraged...but not to extreme!  When it comes to the "BAD" ones we are told to "PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE FEELINGS BEHIND THE CURTAIN"  

But, I have also been blessed with people along the way who have challenged me to look behind the curtain.  To go past the obvious, the surface stuff for deeper understanding (revelations).   Sometimes the stuff we see isn't the real issue.
We are rarely reacting to what we think we are.  Remember...the ONION.  Layers, BABY.

I remember when my son, Caleb died.   I didn't even hear from many of the people I had been in ministry with for years.  I understand...it's hard to know what to say.  Grief is one of those funny emotions.  You are allowed to grieve - but just not too long!!  Folks want you to "move on" because they don't want your emotions to make them feel uncomfortable. Hopefully, we as a people will learn that most of the time grieving people don't need you to SAY anything...they just need you to BE.

My son, Josh, helped me in my grieving process. He hadn't read books or taken classes or learned from a counselor.  He was just Josh.  He didn't have that tone of pity in his voice.  We went for walks, to the movies...he was just THERE.   His presence was what I needed.  His honest presence helped heal me.  Thank you, Josh!!

My friend, Judy Brown, brought me to her house in California.  If i needed to cry...she let me.  If I needed to sleep, she let me.  Sometimes I just sat & starred out the window. Her husband, Rev, let me take his prized possession, his JEEP, out for a ride, by myself.  I drove for hours along the vineyards around Manteca, CA.  Then, we all went for drives...never saying a word.  Just being present!   Thanks Judy...(miss you Rev)

With the recent news of Robin Williams and his struggle there has been much attention drawn to depression.  It's made me ask, what would I say if someone came to me and said, "I'm depressed".  We must remember...few people will say, I AM DEPRESSED.  Depression carries a lot of shame.  You have to pull back the curtain.  Be present...and pay attention.Would I tell them to "Follow the Yellow brick Road"?  I think we should be more prepared to pull back curtains. 

We all need help along our journey.   A fever tells you when something is off in your body...your feelings are telling you what's going on inward.We have become experts in how to mask, medicate or manipulate our emotions. 

I love so many things Iyanla Vanzant says .  She said P.A.I.N. means: 
Pay  Attention Inward Now
To stop and Investigate....PULL BACK THE CURTAIN!!  

• "What is going on inside of me right now?"
  
• 'Why am I acting this way?"
• "When have I felt this before?" 
  
• "What triggered this emotion in me?"
  

 Don't wait...you have the power!

The storm (the hurt, the betrayal, the disappointment, the abandonment, etc) can cause a POWER OUTAGE -- a dis-connect between us and our Power Source.  When we get disconnected from our Power Source it gets dark and we have to FEEL our way around.  We lose sight of our POWER & our PURPOSE.  We start believing all we have is our own power, strength, intellect, ability...our humanity.   That's: THE LIE.  Same ol' LIE!
  
When our lives become mundane, or our health gets weak, when we suffer loss, when we get off balance we begin to question our purpose. Why am I here?   I struggle with this too.  I spiral down the same ol' rabbit hole. (nobody loves me, everybody hates me, I'm gonna go home and eat worms!  blah, blah, blah) But, I've learned a little something. Something very basic.  When you read it you'll probably say, DUH, T!  We learned that in Sunday School when we were 4?  Well, hearing something and applying something are two different things.   Holla back....AMEN???

                               We all have two purposes!

                                      HORIZONTAL -- VERTICAL 
The challenge is to bring these two purposes into alignment. 
Our DOING & our BEING working together.  It's been done before, on Calvary!   When we get bogged down this will help us stay connected to the Power Source (for those of us who are believers we call Father God. 
 It's not what I do...It's WHO I BELONG TO!!  

Here's something I do...(please don't tell my boss) SHHHHH!
Sometimes, right between lines of a song, maybe while the guitar solo is playing... I step away from the mic & say to myself:  "I'm not this song.  I am not just what I can do.   I am a divine creation, with a heavenly call and a powerful destiny. Within me abides the power to speak life and death.  Within me abides the Creater of the Universe. I AM MORE,  I have a higher purpose." 

Ecclesiastes 3: 11
"He has made everything beautiful in it's time. He has also set ETERNITY in the HUMAN HEART."  


So, the next time the storm is tossing you about,  Don't hide behind the curtain...pull it back!!  PAY ATTENTION! 
TALK TO SOMEBODY!! GET CONNECTED TO THE POWER SOURCE!!   You've had the power all along!!!

Peel the onion...a metaphor!
If your name is CLEOPATRA (Queen of DENIAL)
this might not be for you.  I've gone back & forth thinking of clever ways to segue to Hidden Treasure-Part 2.   NOPE.   Can't think of a thing...So...
Please read Part 1...cause I'm gonna dive right in.
          (RECAP:  When I helped Mom move my Grandmother, we found all sorts                         of brand new things HIDDEN in her house. Most of little monetary value. 
                        She didn't buy them for me, she didn't intend them for me 
                 & she didn't think I would find them.   I was told to take them, so I did.
                    
I do believe I know WHY my Grandmother hide those things.   FEAR! 

• FEAR...of the return of hard times.
  
• FEAR...of "doing without"
  
• FEAR...of not being prepared if it happened again.
  
• FEAR...someone would see her FEAR.
  

                                           I believe ACTIONS are BASED 
                       on what we BELIEVE to be TRUE!!
  We learn from our experiences, our education & our environment.
                What you believe is how you interpret & is the 
      reality of the world around you.  We must know what is at the                                                 root of what we believe.  
                       LIFE OR DEATH              TRUTH or A LIE

EX: A dog bit your mom when she was 3.  She had stitches & shots.  It was a painful experience & memory for her...but she did whack the dog on the head with a hammer.  All your life, when you saw a puppy, she would scream  NO!!!! Get AWAY!!!  Dogs are bad...they will bite you.   You love your mom...so dogs are bad.
BELIEF: (based on her experience) - Dogs are bad...they will bite.
TRUTH:  Not all dogs are bad, not all dogs bite.
But, unless you get to know a dog...play with a dog...don't hit that dog with a hammer...you will never know for yourself.   
                    
EX: You're brother is 17, you are 10.  You're brother's girlfriend dumped him after a long 3 day relationship, because...that's life.  He comes home, slams the door, throws his books & says, GIRLS SUCK!!  You love your brother...so girls must suck. 
BELIEF: (based on his 1st experience)  GIRLS SUCK...DON'T TRUST GIRLS!
TRUTH: GIRLS DO SUCK...unless you find one from Kentucky!!

We have to be careful not to create our belief system based on a 2nd hand experience.  Belief systems, like dishes, get passed down in a family.  We must find our own TRUTH.  

For most of my adult I have been in the ministry.  I have taught retreats, conferences, classes & in pulpits across the US & other countries. I took many classes, read and studied because I've always had a hunger to know more about what makes me (& you) tick.  

From time to time I check in with my belief system.  Do my emotional inventory.  Make sure past pain, past memories aren't in charge of my emotions and causing me to react.  I look for unresolved issues.  To apply new insight and revelation so I will grow. 

Once in a while...something happens & I don't act like my usual sweet self.   An old thing will work it's way up.  I need to pay attention! Sometime, we don't  realize how deep hurt goes.  It might feel GONE, when it's only HIDDEN.   It's because our memory has LAYERS.  
We need to STOP, DROP, & peel.  

(peel, verb: (T's blog dictionary) to remove the surface (what is seen, what I feel) and ask the tough questions that take me to the root, the source the TRUTH)

• why did that hurt me  --- again?
  
• why did i do that   --- again?
  
• why do i feel this  ---- again?
  
• why did i say that ---- again?
  
• why did i go there --- again?
  

             WHAT IS AT THE ROOT OF MY REACTION??
I've discovered FEAR is at the root of most of my reactions. 
Fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of not having enough, fear of being mis-treated...fear of being abandoned....FEAR.  

 Could it be possible that fear was passed along to me
        with along with a jar of buttons, a set of dishes 
                              and a coin collection? 
     Yes, I believe we can pass fear, hurt, shame, anger, etc. 
                  I want to pass TREASURE...not STUFF!!

STUFF - noun: (T's blog dictionary) P.E.M. (Personal Emotional Property).       painful memories, prejudice, mean words, hurtful actions, emotion, failures,  disappointments, addictions, abandonment, secrets, anything               that could cause create a damaging, 2nd hand belief system 

What?  You don't have any "stuff" that tries to comes back around.  THAT'S AWESOME SAUCE! Sweet in 10 Languages!!
 
BEFORE YOU STOP READING...LET ME ASK YOU THIS? 

Have you ever had a pickle jar moment?

One day, you reach in the fridge and you hit a pickle jar.  It smashes on the floor...ALL OVER THE FLOOR. And suddenly, you over-react, out of character behavior like you see in a Quentin Tarantino movie.  You curse at the dog (he probably bites anyway), slam the fridge door, tell your daughter to go to her room right now (cause we all know GIRLS SUCK & it was probably her fault)  ETC....ETC...ETC!!!  
Your FAM thinks:  "Wow, they've lost their ever lovin' mind."
  - OR -                     "Wow, they really loved those pickles!"
Truth:    You might be hiding "stuff"

Moments like these are what I call ---LEAKING!! 
LEAK - verb: (T's blog dictionary)    A breach or pressure valve that allows an escape and EXPOSURE of contents from within a sealed container.We think we have cleverly & completely deal with our P.E.P. THEN BOOOOOOM!!!      We're leaking all over everywhere.
Leaking looks for an acceptable "outlet" to release emotion...but the expression doesn't fit the situation.  

OK???  Still with me??

We are soooo creative.   We hide our "stuff" in many ways!
1.  WE WEAR MASKS  
mask, noun:  false veneer that temporarily hides our reality.     
It's all about CURB APPEAL!!!
The inside might be a mess...but look at that landscaping!! If the outside is functioning...they'll never know!!
A mask is DENIAL with a SMILE!!
The Bible says I Sam. 16:7 "...The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."  
ATTN: K-MART SHOPPERS!!!
This is not God telling us that we should neglect or HIDE what's on the inside.  This is God saying..."I SEE YOUR STUFF!        

If only we had a form of communication where we could share with others only positive information, promotions, achievements, happy moments with our kids, what we had for lunch with whom & where accompanied by photo-shopped pics 24/7 so that everyone could see only what we want them to see.   We would be rich!!  Wait...somebody already is rich for that!!

2. WE GET BUSY (also called: RUNNING) 
       If we are busy enough no one will notice.  
                   No, sorry, I can't have coffee....soooo busy.
                   No, I can't talk right now....soooo busy.
                   No, we can't go....soooo busy.
       No one can hit a moving target.
       This one works well...as long as there are no pickle jars.
       
3.  SILENCE
        Suffering in silence.  Never complain, never ask for help...never 
        have a need, never says a word. Because if they say one word            
        BOOOOOM!   

4. SELF-MEDICATION
       We find something, a substance, a person, a sport, a hobby, a    
       cause...to lose ourselves in to help HIDE.  I'm not gonna get too 
       specific, cause I'll leave yours out...and you'll think it's ok. LOL
       But, I'll just say this....chocolate!!                    

The truth is...we don't have to wait on a conference, a retreat, a counselor, a class, a coach, a guide or a guru.
We don't have to hear OPRAH tell us!!
The next time...a pickle jar situation comes up, just
STOP, DROP & PEEL.

ASK Yourself:  

• why did that hurt me  --- again?
  
• why did i do that   --- again?
  
• why do i feel this  ---- again?
  
• why did i say that ---- again?
  
• why did i go there --- again?

What is at the root of this reaction?

                                Thanks as always for reading. 
           I appreciate your support, comments, ideas...and LOVE!  
Who knows...maybe next time I'll share a recipe.  Probably not!  LOL


                          If you ever need me...send me an email!!  

There's a trick with TREASURES.  The owner gives them their value.  To an outside appraiser, my stuff may hold no value at all.  He'd offer me pennies...and I'd say, NOT FOR SALE!!
                              You've seen American Pickers...right?        

         Some things have monetary value.
                     Some things have temporary value.
                                Some things have sentimental value.
                                           Some things have potential value.
                                                   We...have eternal value. 
The Bible tells us like any TREASURE were purchased with a great price... II Corinthians  6:20   "You are not your own;  you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."  We are valuable because of His investment!

II Corinthians 4:7 
Treasure in earthen vessels, clay jars...
simple boxes, covered in brown paper.
God made each us with unique gifts & strengths. 
Are you tired of hearing that?
Yeah, me too...
 especially when I feel hidden under the bed 
or tied up with string.

YOU ARE A TREASURE...& YOU CARRY A TREASURE.
It doesn't matter when, where, how...or why you are used!

In a previous blog, we established the need for Bass Weejuns, color: cordovan, style: tassels. LABELS were important (even back then)  "Monkey Ward" (as we called it) did not sell Weejuns.   I had to purchase them "over there". Everyone knew Weejuns weren't cool till they were all broken in.  Those perfect creases across the toe, stretched out a bit.  You had to be patient. It took time... but mine just never felt right.  The creases weren't right.  AND THEY HURT!!! 

One day, I took off my shoes in front of Papaw (it's a southern thang).  He said, "Come here Teriney Sue" (it's another Southern thang) "Let me see your feet".  My pinkie toes were blood red & my heels matched.  If you were real quiet, you could hear my feet weep.   He said, "Bring me your shoes!"  He examined...he felt inside, he bent & twisted my shoes.  Then he said, "Let me measure your feet".  He looked up at me & said the most horrible thing.  "Honey, these shoes don't fit you. They are too narrow. You're feet weren't measured properly".
WHAT????  NO!!!  
How did this happen to the grand-daughter of a Master Shoe Salesman. 
Now...I know,  I HAD LET THE WRONG PERSON DETERMINE MY SIZE!
Every painful step I took was a reminder I had been MIS-MEASURED!  I didn't have the heart to tell my Grand daddy...HOW I had been measured!   I've never told anyone till now!  (Please keep this confidential) 
Here is how it happened.
SCENE:         (LIGHTS DIM, SOFT MYSTERIOUS MUSIC PLAYS)
                        Me: (excited, smiling...nervous)
                        Sales person "over there:   "What size do you need?"  
                         Me:   "I don't know?" (why would I, my grandfather always measured)
                         Sales person "over there:   "What size are the shoes you have on?"  
There it was!!
Yep, a question and a glance!! 
No TOOL, NO PRESSING OF MY FOOT, NO STAND UP! 
 That was my first memory...of being mis-measured!!

So, here's my question? Have you ever been MIS-MEASURED??? 
So, you know I'm not talking...SHOES, right?  I'm talking about YOU.
Are you trying to walk in something that doesn't FIT? 
(translation: your identity, your definition...maybe even a TRIBE?)  

As I see it...We are mis-measured TWO ways.

1.  We are Measured by OTHERS- 
Others assess our worth by our looks, our age, our sex, our race, what we can do, what we own, our education & our experience...or painful past.   Most people...take a glance & categorize, classify & identify right on the spot.  We've gotten so good at judging people.  Isn't that what TV's singing competitions have trained us to be??  Hollywood calls it: TYPECAST.  So, we are squeezed into a metaphorical "shoe" that doesn't fit & wonder why we are miserable. Why we can't grow.  Why we can't change if it doesn't fit.  We're STUCK.
Maybe it's time to toss the old "shoes"...and go for those with the Bunny Ears?

2.   We are Measured by OURSELVES-
I assess my worth by how I feel, my flaws, my faults, my failures.  Then, self-talk reinforces these negative thoughts.  We become our disease, our divorce, our disappointments.  We stifle our process & our power because we see ourselves as small, limited, disqualified, invalid, incapable...and the list goes on...and on.
I personally...struggle with this daily.   I am working hard to rise up & stop wearing these shoes!!  We are terrified to say No, or I can't.  Because being all things to all people gets recognition -- even if the shoe doesn't fit.
     
I have a TRIBE-SEEESTER* who refuses to reinforce my "small" vision of myself. When I say, "I'm OLD" she says, "You're BEAUTIFUL",  I say, "I'm FAT" she says, "You're BEAUTIFUL".  I say, "I'm finished"...She says,  "You're BEAUTIFUL"   
I'm blessed with several "seeesters"...who reflect me this way.  I don't see it as an attempt to boost to my ego or try to "kiss-up"...or especially PREACH at ME!!!
                They just repeat what my Heavenly Father has said about me.    
                They have heard me ROAR!!   They have seen me SOAR!!  
   THEY remind me of WHO I AM, WHO I BELONG TO, & WHAT I CAN BE .  
(That's TRIBE y'all)

*Tribe Seeester - one who knows what size your jeans are (metaphorically)  still loves you, still believes in you, let's you be who you are but..and won't let you talk trash on yourself.

HERE'S THE GAME CHANGER, Y'ALL
We can't control what others think about us!

"You can please some of the people, some of the time,
 all of the people, some of the time, some of the people
 all of the time, but you can never please 
all of the people all of the time.”   
- Abraham Lincoln 

Just think, if we stop trying to fit where we don't belong...how much spare time we'd have!!

Here's what I'm learning:

• It's smart to stop along your journey & check your fit.
• Pain is an indicator.  If it hurts...change something.
• Change is good. (nothing happens till something moves- Einstein)
  
• It's my choice who I allow to measure me.
• It's my choice what I believe...(believe from a higher truth)
• God's Word is my measuring tool.

What does all this have to do with TRIBES?? 
Those that know & identify with your CORE-TRUTH are your CORE-TRIBE. Your CORE-TRUTH will draw your CORE- TRIBE.   
Your CORE-TRIBE:

• reflects you 
• represents you 
• resembles you
• rejoices over you

             I want to "stay the course".  How about you?
                       I want to THANK my CORE-TRIBE who  
                                    support & encourage me to 
                                          STAY THE COURSE, 
                                    REACH MY DESTINATION
                                      & ANSWER THE CALL!!
                          
             Thank you for reading & making comment.  
   Thank you for your emails of encouragement as I dive into new places!!  Please share this site, with anyone you                              think might benefit from it.  
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                     Maybe your sailing on rough waters & you need                                             encouragement, a listening hear, prayer support. 
            You might not even know me, but you have some questions...
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                              I'd love to hear from you.  

Look at this...from the Bible.    Jesus had different levels of connection, too!
He had all kinds of people in his TRIBES!!   Another "AH-HA" moment!!

1. The Crowd -- Jesus told sermons to the crowd.
   
2. The Followers -- Jesus told parables to the followers
3. The Disciples -- Jesus told the future to the Disciples
4. The THREE  (Peter, James & John) Jesus told the 3 To PRAY.
5. The ONE  (John, the Beloved)  Jesus told John to care for His mother from the cross. 

          
His TRIBE is all over the earth.  Keep your eyes, ears and hearts open.  I've heard they are known by their LOVE!!
Oops...answer to "Do I need TRIBE?"   YES!!"Two are better than one . . . and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."                   Ecclesiastes 4:9,12

Thanks so much for reading.  Please connect with me.  I want to hear your definition of TRIBE.   I will have more soon!

          Next time:  The first step to finding your TRIBE!!