There is NOTHING like giving. True giving……..NO strings attached. NO solicitations. NO donations. NO expectations in return. THAT is the heart, the mission, the spirit behind NeedItKeepIt.org (NIKI).

Doc Compton started this non-profit organization after he experienced the joy of giving.  One of his favorite quotes is, “For of those to whom much is given, much is required”, so with that his belief is to give, give, give, give – when we give, we receive! Doc shares the story that started it all, you can click here to watch it.

Here’s the concept:  CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE PERSON AT A TIME, AND $1 AT A TIME…

The idea is simple;  It all starts with an envelope containing one dollar and a letter about their mission.  That envelope is given to a stranger, who is instructed to follow these 4 simple steps:  Read the letter in its entirety.  If the money in the envelope comes to the reader at a time that it can have a measurable impact in their life, they are instructed to keep it.  In other words, “If you need it, keep it.”  Whether they keep it or not, the letter simply asks that the recipient let them know, via phone, email, or through their guestbook, exactly if and how it impacted them.  If they don’t need the money in the envelope, we ask that they simply pass the envelope along to someone else, ideally, adding a dollar (or more) to it, if they’re able, and compelled to do so.

The hope is that eventually, the envelope will find its way into the hands of someone who does need it, whilst having been added to by those along the way who might not have. The eventual recipient is blessed with the fruit of others’ generosity, and those who have passed it along and added to it have shared in the immense joy that giving brings.

Although the money could and most likely will be a blessing to someone who needs it, this project is NOT about the money.  It’s about the message and how it touches the hearts of all those involved.  Hearts will forever be changed, and faith in human kindness will be strengthened and restored.  The message that people care, people love, and people give will be spread by this simple act.    NIKI is 100% aware of the fact that this idea is not theirs… It is an ancient principle, but, as they are people of action, they simply wanted to help promote the idea of giving!

See NIKI in action, check out this short video……

To learn more about Need It Keep It go to their website at needitkeepit.org, like them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter or watch their videos on YouTube.

We are excited to join needitkeepit.org in their efforts by handing out envelopes in our community.  If you are inspired to do the same, you can get the letter we created here ~ Thank you NIKI for Keeping it Personal and for sharing your passion on giving and spreading love to others.

Who would’ve thought that cleaning out a closet, de-cluttering the old and unused to make room for new, would uncover something that is desperately needed – DIAPERS.

That’s EXACTLY what happened when Kristen Grode came across a couple opened bags of unused diapers.  She said, “Initially, my motives were selfish – I just wanted to get rid of these things that were taking up space!”  Then she realized, after making several calls to shelters and food banks, that there was a desperate NEED.

That realization awakened something inside of Kristen to do some homework.  She was able to find several diaper banks across the united states, but there was NOTHING established in the midwest.  The closest organization to where she lived, in Minnesota, on a diaper drive mission to help families in need of diapers was Detroit.

After prayerful consideration, she took action!!  Just a few short months ago, Kristen started Minnesota’s FIRST and ONLY Diaper Bank!

The purpose of this non-profit organization is:  to help prevent health and neglect issues for children by giving low income families access to fresh, properly fitting diapers;  to partner with the community, collecting diapers and or funds, to purchase diapers;  to act as a vendor to public service agencies with diaper needs; and to advocate, through the use of technology and social media, that “basic human needs” include diapers and that these needs are not being met for many children and adults.

The Diaper Drive has EXPLODED since May!!  Having been featured on, KSTP Channel 5 – Twin Cities Live, KTIS FM Radio, WCCO Channel 4, and most recently, Minneapolis Star Tribune published a great article to create awareness – the word is getting out!

The unfortunate part about getting the word out is that most of the contacts Kristen is receiving are from people in NEED of diapers.  Since the article was published, in the Star Tribune, she has received over 25 calls from different organizations such as hospitals, ECFE programs, and food shelves from across the state in NEED of diapers.

Donations of ANY of the following items are needed:

Baby Diapers (any brand and size)

Pull Ups (any size)

Underjams

Swimmers

Wet Wipes

Adult Diapers (Small-Extra Large)

Belted Shields

Chucks

Men’s Guards

Poise Pads

The Diaper Drive only distributes diapers to partner organizations, NOT to individual families.  To see the current list of drop off sites, follow this link.   The goal is to create MANY convenient drop off locations across the metro area.  Please contact The Diaper Drive if you are able to get a collection started at your place of employment, church, school, or other gathering place of people!  To read more about how to make that happen, click here.  The need is HUGE, NOT only in Minnesota BUT across the country!

Last Thursday The Diaper Drive hosted a dinner for diapers silent auction and were blessed to have raised enough funds to now be able to submit their 501c3 paperwork at the end of the month.  With their non-profit status they are hoping to completely cover the state of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin – they are on a mission!

To learn more about this GREAT organization visit them on Facebook or stop by their website.  Thank you Kristen for Keeping it Personal.  Thank you for opening the door when you heard the “knock” – you are truly a blessing and helping to distribute hope to the hopeless.

Keeping it Personal is simply a concept. You could say It’s similar to what people have been talking about for years when using the phrase “pay it forward” or the phrase “random acts of kindness”. These are wonderful and amazing things!

BUT, we want to encourage you to take it a step further with Keeping it Personal. In addition to doing nice things, good works, and acts of kindness for others, keep it personal by focusing on the relationship.  The connection.  The association.  The involvement with others.

WHY take it a step further?  Here are The Top 4 reasons……….

1.  It’s Broad.  There are MANY MANY ways we can keep it personal with others.  Each person has their own unique and special way to connect, bond, and communicate.  Determine what you are most comfortable with and DO IT!  LIVE IT!  Keeping the concept ‘top of mind’ is what’s important.  How are you sowing life into others?

2.  EVERYONE can do it.  Keeping it personal is NOT limited and anyone who is willing can do it.  We all have people who we can relate to and share our experiences with we simply need to look for the opportunities.  We are not limited to how many lives we can impact.  Whether you’re shy or outgoing, live in a small town or a big city, young or old – YOU can make a difference!

3.  It’s rewarding.  When we GIVE we RECEIVE.  What goes around, comes around.  We reap what we sow.  When we focus LESS on ourselves and MORE on the needs of others we receive blessings.  There is nothing more rewarding than encouraging another person, loving others, brightening another’s day.  It is purely food for our soul.

4.  It’s FREE.  You do NOT need to open your pocketbook, purchase anything, or hire people…….keeping it personal doesn’t cost a dime!!  Giving of your time, encouraging others, sharing, smiling, going out of your way to sincerely ask someone how you can help, giving compliments, showing appreciation for the little things others do, hugs, phone calls, letters……..all these are FREE!  Take action with the lingering thoughts that God gives you.  Reach out.  Make the connection.  Share your gifts.

There you have it!  Now, GO.  Take Action.  Live Keeping it Personal.  Be a blessing.  Be blessed.

Welcome back!  This is part two of the post where I introduced Towanda.  If you missed that, you can check it out by following this link.  If you had made the decision to read on, lets give it a name.

First, you need to be WILLING to acknowledge that you have some character defects or areas that need work in your life.  Remember, if you’re perfect you were supposed to stop reading – so the fact that you’re still reading this suggests that you’ve already accepted that you need some work and you’re willing.  YIPEE!

Second, go ahead, name it!  Be creative and have FUN with this!  A couple of my friends liked the sound of Towanda, but they changed the first letter to correspond with their first name.  If you’d like to do that, you could too!  Here are a couple of examples:  Lowanda, Kowanda, Awanda, Jowanda, Dowanda.  It doesn’t matter what you name it, JUST give it a name so you can CALL IT OUT!

Third and Last, now you’ve got the name.  Grab a piece of paper and a pen.  Write the name that you came up with for your character defects at the top of the piece of paper and then below the name jot down character traits you’d like to attach to that name.  If you’re experiencing writers block, feel free to look at Towanda’s list if it helps, she’s definitely got a lot of defects to choose from….UGH!

Now that you’ve identified your NEW unwanted friend, what do you do when she/he is triggered and all her/his character defects start to move through you.  Keep in mind that the character defects are often individual – they do NOT always come out at one time.  So be watchful, your ‘towanda’ may be sneaky and could creep in very quietly.

Before I share with you the steps to take to deal with your ‘towanda’ there are two things you need to do.

1.  You need to PREPARE. What this means is create an accountability group.  It doesn’t have to be huge – believe me, who wants to share this information with EVERYONE (except for me?!?!?).  However, you need to let a couple of people know what you’re doing, people who you can trust and who will be honest with you.  Know this, you need to be willing to receive truth from the people in this group, even when its painfully ULGY!  This is VERY important, so don’t overlook it.  Who will you share your unwanted friend character traits with?

2.  Keep watch DAILY-EYES WIDE OPEN. At first it might seem to be a lot of work and you might miss your ‘towanda’, but over time it becomes easier to identify.  Let me give you some examples of what you might be looking for:

• You feel a storm raging within you, your blood starts to boil, or your stomach is in knots.
• You get upset about a situation or with a person
• Things just aren’t going your way, the way you planned or expected, you may feel frustrated and irritable
• You’re having a bad day, you feel angry, you’re upset.
• You have the urge to talk negative about another person with a friend or co-worker – you are gossiping
• You’re feeling depressed and want to have a pity-party, be the victim
• You are impatient with others and nobody seems to do anything right.
• You are feeling disappointed.  Others/situations are not meeting your expectations – you feel let down

If you start to feel any of these things??  FLASHING LIGHT –  Lightening BOLTS – DING DING DING – your ‘towanda’ has been triggered AND is awake!!  What do you do NOW?  Immediately!!  Let me suggest the following 4 steps that have worked for me………

1.  ACKNOWLEDGE that you’re feeling your ‘towanda’.  It’s OK!  We are NOT perfect, we are a work in progress, we are human and unfortunately your ‘towanda’ will stay alive as long as you do.  Your goal is to identify it and by acknowledging it, you’ve accomplished step one.

2.  CALL IT OUT.  I know this sounds silly, but actually say out loud what you’re feeling and speak against it.  Let me give you an example of a situation:

You wake up with anxiety in your stomach, your mind starts to race about everything that needs to get done.  You don’t know what the outcome will be in a certain situation so you are playing out every possible scenario in your mind, you are stressed out and worried that things may NOT work out how YOU think they should.

You acknowledge THIS is your ‘towanda’ – NOW you need to call it out, speak to it, say something out loud like this, “I am trying to manipulate and control this situation.  I have the ability to control myself and no one else, I will simply do my best, the outcome I have NO control over.”

What you’re doing in this step is calling out the character traits of your towanda and speaking truth against the situation.  To put it simple, identify the negative – then turn it around and hit it with positive!

3.  PRAY.  Go to God first.  Share with Him your struggle, your situation, your feelings.  Ask Him to reveal to you His will for your life and ask Him for the strength to operate according to what He wants for you.  Humbly share with Him the areas where you may be wrong in your attitude, motives, and actions.   Thank Him for His unconditional love and share with him the many things you’re grateful for.   Lastly, be patient……..wait on Him.  Continue to ask for His guidance and praise Him while you’re waiting.  REMEMBER:  He has PERFECT timing.

4.  Tap into your ACCOUNTABILITY.  IF you’ve worked the first 3 steps and are STILL feeling the ickiness of your towanda – call upon one of your accountability partners.  Share your struggle and ask for insight.  Be open to hearing something that you may have overlooked.  When we are in the midst of a struggle, when we are angry, upset, or hurting we can easily overlook the characteristics of our ‘towanda’ – outsiders looking in, who are honest, can help uncover things we are not capable of seeing on our own.

That’s it!  These steps ARE working for ME and I am grateful.  Don’t get me wrong, Towanda STILL comes out (my husband and kids will confirm this) and I STILL have issues, BUT now I face them HEAD ON by following these steps.

What I’ve realized, since I’ve been doing this for several months, is that I often don’t get to step 4.  I feel 100% better at step 3.  AND, IF these step are “out of order” my issues can be blown out of proportion, I can add fuel to the fire by telling others my ‘dreadful’ story and be deceived about the reality.  The REALITY??  I need to take an honest look in the mirror FIRST.

Have you ever wondered how you could make a difference in someone’s life? Have you ever had the desire to be a better person, to ‘pay it forward’? Has someone, perhaps a complete stranger, made a difference in your life with a simple act of kindness? We have decided to highlight a man who we have absolutely no connection with, but who has demonstrated first hand these qualities. We thought you would be inspired by him, as we were. Perhaps, you might decide too, to take his approach on doing good deeds. What a difference he has made, and wouldn’t it be a blessing for us to continue in this quest.

Bryan Douglas

On April 3, 2009 Bryan Douglas decided to make a difference. He placed an ad on Craigs List (of all places) asking if anyone needed help. Can you imagine? He had several responses, and after some planning, Bryan set out on a weekend trip to help others. It is as simple as that. He got in his car in Pittsburg, and headed for Chicago, with a list of “to do’s”. Actually, others’ to do’s for which he had volunteered his time. This list varied from the purchase of a battery, to providing a ride, to some sweat labor.

Take a couple of minutes to watch Bryan’s video, it is a rough documentary of his trip, well worth watching! What an incredible example of Keeping It Personal……random acts of kindness!

We challenge you to pay it forward. What can you do, something as simple as providing a ride, or helping with some lawn work…. to make a difference in another’s life? Will you share with us your stories? Maybe how your life was impacted by another’s kindness, or how you have paid it forward? We would like to make this a regular reminder for our fans- as I know I am inspired when I see how a simple action can make such a big difference!

To learn more about Bryan’s mission, to see and hear more about how he’s impacting lives, check out his websites:  PghPeopleHelpingPeople.com ~ GiveWithoutRemembering.com ~ twitter.com/Bryan_Douglas_ ~ DoingGoodWorks.org

You may also be interested in reading the book he has written titled, “Doing Good Works”.  Here he gives people practical ideas of how to think and act to change the world.

THANK YOU Bryan for taking action with those lingering thoughts; NOT ignoring them.  You are an inspiration.  You are truly keeping it personal.

Summer Break is here but I haven’t had much of a ‘break’ in the area of sleeping in.  For the last week, for a variety of reasons, I’ve had to get up EARLY;  I could REALLY use a morning to wake up without the alarm clock!  YAWN!!

I was driving this morning, at 6:30, heading to my chiropractor appointment; drinking my coffee and listening to the radio.  I heard the phrase “Live out Loud” –  it set my mind racing!!  I formed a question in my mind, what does it mean to live out loud?  I started brainstorming what it means to ME and jotted down a few of my thoughts in my journal.

Living out loud means………..NOT being ashamed of what others think about where I’ve been and the experiences I’ve had.  Being willing to open up and connect with others about life’s struggles.  Sharing where my strength and hope comes from; God and a personal relationship with Christ.  Striving everyday to be a light in the world and to be helpful to others.  Transparency, NO masks and being honest.

THEN I started to wonder how others would answer this?  So, I sent out a “quick question” email from my blackberry to some friends, it said this, “Could you take 2 minutes and answer this question quick?  What would it mean to you to “live out loud” – can you share your thoughts on living out loud? Do you live out loud? How? Thank you so much for your input! Love, Teri”  I LOVE the uniqueness of the responses I got from my friends and family – THANK YOU for contributing,  I truly love and appreciate you ALL!!  Below are their answers, uncensored……

“Living out loud is extremely rewarding! When one of the kids win an award, I’m the mom Cheering out loud while everyone else claps quietly! When I have accomplished a goal, I’m out there encouraging others that they can do the same thing! As a single mother, I bought my first house, celebrated that in the middle of a company meeting! I made a goal to buy a BMW, it took 5and a half years, but as a single mom, I accomplished that! I lived out load by telling everyone who complimented my materialistic automobile that I had that goal for 5 and a half years, and I did it!!!!  I managed a team of 10 salespeople and encouraged them with praise and celebration when they succeeded, loudly! The way I look at the question: do you live out load, I think, YES! I don’t worry about what others think of me…. It’s none of my business! I get up each day to encourage and help mankind! I do it with energy! I do it with a smile! And I do it because I want to!!!!!  ~ KP

“Living out loud to me means to be able to share your life’s passions, goals and beliefs with those around you. I am passionate about kids and instilling in them a love for their families and teaching them about their faith. Living out loud means making connections with others that have the same passions as you and being able to learn and grow from each other.” ~ KMP

“Living out Loud….Waking up every morning and watching the sun rise….Listening to the birds…Seeing the beauty in the world God has put before our eyes…Watching the sunsets…Loving with all your heart and like you’re never going to get hurt…Being there with a gentle heart and caring hands for others…Enjoying every moment and making the most out of every opportunity…Listening with your heart…Loving like there’s no tomorrow…Looking for the positive in everything and everyone…ACCEPTANCE…That to me is Living Out Loud.”   ~ DN

“I immediately think of the song – “wake the neighbors, get the word out, crank up the music….and shout”. So, I first think of “living out loud” and the message of excitement of having a relationship with the Lord and wanting to shout from the rooftops and share the passion I have for God.  I live out “louder” in some areas of my life than others. With some friends/family I speak freely about the love and excitement I have for God. In other areas of life it is more indirect. I try to stand firm in my faith and let the light of God shine out. I think living out loud is living out the Word and what is in your heart and not keeping it inside to yourself. However you can “live out loud” – speaking and sharing the Word, kind actions, patience, tolerance and love.” JE

“Living “Out Loud”. I’ve never thought of it before, but I guess to me it would be living your life as if each day were the most important day. No matter what is on your schedule, you do it to the fullest. Loving life & making the most of it. As a Christian seeing each circumstance or trial as an opportunity to trust the Lord & grow in your faith & finally being ready to share Christ’s love with a testimony or helping hand, taking a stand when you may be the only one “standing” for the truth. Letting your actions, attitudes etc define who you are, with out having to be in your face preachy to someone.”  ~ SMF

“Living out loud is about sharing your love of living with others. Don’t let your happiness stay within you give it away to others! When you are loud with your living and loving it is catchy! Let others catch the fever…..live out loud today and every day!”  ~ KM

“To live out loud means to me living a life with example. To live life out loud is to be seen by others a way of life that your living.  Basically walking the walk and not just talking the talk. That’s how I see it.”  ~ RRS

“I think living out loud means to be bold in your faith…people knowing you’re there being the example Christ set for us.  Working at getting better at this, but don’t feel like I’m fully “living out loud”.”  ~ WL

“Living out loud to me…. what a great question. I guess to me it means sticking to what I believe no matter what! No matter who I am around! I make sure I am who I say I am at all times: I am a daughter to a almighty savior and I try and live every moment for his glory. I am a Christian and a GOD fearing one!!! I want everyone who knows me to know that! I don’t push things on people but I know that everyone who “knows” me, KNOWS this about me. THAT is how I live out loud!!! ”  ~ AK

“Live out loud… Letting my heart be apparent from inside out and my actions following my heart by my matching those actions. Something I am working on daily.”  ~DM

WHAT does “living out loud” mean to you?  How would YOU answer this question?

I’m sitting in Juvenile Court right now, waiting to testify about a child’s safety. Ultimately this hearing will determine whether or not a patient I was involved in will return to her biological parent or stay in foster care with a hope to be adopted. Big stuff. My role in this is very small. One tiny piece of the puzzle.

I come with a nervous stomach. Anxious. I hate court. Really hate it. I am praying I answer the attorneys’ questions in a way that will help the judge make the best decision for this young lady. There are many attorneys involved in a hearing like this. An attorney for the county. An attorney for the parents. And each of the girls involved have a guardian ad litem, each represented by an attorney. Situations like this become very complicated, and when you really stop to think about it, what an important role each of them play in the future of this young life.

This is a very broken family, parents fighting to maintain custody of their 3rd daughter, having lost custody of their 2 older daughters. Abuse. Drugs. Immorality. Shame. Lies. Regrets. Unfortunately, this describes many of the families with whom I have the opportunity to work.

There have been some delays, (not unusual for court) which has given me some time to visit with the foster mom for these two young ladies (two of the 3 siblings). What an amazing woman. She prefers taking in teenagers, because she says she gets too attached to the younger ones. I kind of laugh at that, as in my opinion she gets just as attached to the teens. She says by the time they are adults, she is ready to let them go. Funny thing though. Two of the many foster children she has cared for over the years are still living in her home, now as adults. (Having made it to college I might add!)

This foster mom has been providing foster care as a single woman, an elementary school counselor- for over 20 years. I asked her how she would define her job description. She said it is to help young men and women adjust to the situations they have come from, and to help them grow into productive adults. Things as simple as hygiene, organization, dress (physical appearance), ethics, morals…  Some of these kids come with a lot of work to do. A lot of lies to undo. Other children don’t require quite as much work. One thing is certain. She loves these kids. Unconditionally. Without judgment.

Now my confession. I mentioned there were delays in this proceeding. I became annoyed, impatient that I was sitting in court on my day off, waiting to testify. Thinking of all the things I had waiting for me at home. I have laundry to do, a house to clean, dinner to prepare… Seriously? I know part of the problem is the wall/distance I put up to protect myself from the content, the subject matter of the patients I see. But still. It didn’t take more than a moment after talking with this humble, noble woman to realize that I was being incredibly selfish. What could be more important than this?

Something I have really been convicted of lately is my selfishness. I am learning more and more every day, that life really isn’t about me. This journey I’m on is certainly a process. This foster mom has taught me a huge lesson today. A lesson about sacrifice, unconditional love, selfLESSness.  I’m definitely a work in progress. I believe more and more each day, even if it is just with our own family, or perhaps a neighbor or friend, we are ALL called to be more like this woman. Think of the difference we could make if we took action.

Continued from I Haven’t Got a Clue…….

When I was WILLING, He was able.  I had no idea what throwing my hands up in the air, surrendering my plans, my will, my ideas, my pride, my motives meant or looked like, but I was cooked – DONE and READY to get off the winding road.

Looking back I can see now that God had been preparing me for this specific time.  Several months prior to this He had me stumble across a book through my friend’s sister called Uncommon Woman By Susie Larson.  Just the name of the book struck a cord in my heart – Uncommon Woman, that is what I wanted to be.  I picked up the book in February and devoured it.

Not only once, but twice.  I chewed on every chapter.  I had the passion in my heart to possess the characteristics of the woman described in the book.  But me?  I can’t be that woman, I’m not good enough!  The tapes would play over and over in my mind of all the horrible things that I’d done, the things I’m CURRENTLY doing, the un-pure thoughts I have, the prejudice and judgmental attitudes I stored in my mind – simply put, I am undeserving………look at me, who am I?  You see, I did a really GREAT job in my life accomplishing most of the NEVERS that I vowed I would NEVER do.

In April 2009 I got a call from a dear friend of mine, a mentor friend, a wise woman who I admired, she wanted to have coffee.  We had a chance to catch up and I shared with her the book I had read.  It intrigued her and she asked if I could do a “book club” on the book.  I thought, wow, my THIRD time reading this book, REALLY?  It took me only a brief second to respond, “Ok, I’m in – when do we start?”  We decided that we would meet every Thursday morning and discuss a chapter each week.  I was so excited!

The following week we started.  Before we dug in, my wise friend asked me a profound question.  She said, “What can you give up and surrender in your life over the next few weeks, as we go through this book.  Something that will free your mind and allow you to focus as you read; to really get the most out of what you’re reading?”  As I thought about her question, she shared with me what she was willing to “lay down”.  Then I responded with my answer, “I will lay down alcohol – for the next 12 weeks, I will not drink alcohol.”

I was excited about this commitment, THIS is what I needed – accountability.  In the back of my mind, I had been a little concerned about the amount of alcohol I had been drinking ~ I LOVED LOVED LOVED to unwind at night with a glass of wine.  But the problem was that it wasn’t just one night a week, it was most often seven and it wasn’t just one glass of wine it was most often one bottle (or two).  So, that day, I did two things……..I committed to NOT drink for an extended period of time from the bottom of my heart AND I broke my commitment; that night I drank so much wine that I passed out.

I wore the shirt of shame and the pants of guilt for the next three weeks when I met with my wise friend.  A day didn’t go by that I didn’t have a drink.  She didn’t ask about my commitment and I didn’t tell.  I was dishonest and in fear.  I was fearful of what she would think of me and afraid of what I had discovered.  I was in bondage to alcohol and it was controlling my life.

On the morning of Tuesday May 12th 2009, I set out to accomplish one thing, pick out tile and granite for our home.  The reality of that day is this.  I started drinking by noon and I was passed out, tucked safely into my bed by my husband by 6:00pm.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but that was to be my last drink (by the grace of God).

I felt physically miserable when I woke up on Wednesday May 13th.  Vowing AGAIN that morning for the millionth time I will NEVER drink again.  I looked in the mirror and hated who I had become, BUT this is when the revelation hit me.  Remember, one week earlier the cry of my heart was God show me what to do, I am nothing without you?  Not only had He been showing me, little by little, but He was preparing me.  Out of curiosity, today, I just looked back to my Facebook status for that day and here’s what I had posted:

WOW ~ ONLY God could’ve given me the JOY that I had felt on that day and the strength to do what I had to do the following day.  I had to be honest with my accountability partner, my wise friend who I was doing the “book club” with.  As we sat down to get started discussing our book, I began by saying, “I will never find the freedom that is talked about in this book.”  I started to cry and through my tears I continued, “I have been dishonest with you, I haven’t been able to NOT drink alcohol.  I’ve been drinking since we started and I don’t know what to do.”

We closed our books.  We talked openly and honestly about my struggle.  We discussed options. I made a decision.  I called Hazelden and admitted myself into their impatient treatment facility for alcoholism.  The decision was easy for me to make, but it didn’t come without a thousand mixed feelings.  I was willing and I had handed over the wheel one week prior and prayed for a revelation.  God answered my prayer and all the details fell into place.

Today marks an anniversary for me, 365 days without alcohol – ONLY because of Him!  Yes, I am an alcoholic.  I’ve embraced this asset and have had the privilege to help others who struggle with the same issue.  However, this does not define me.  WHY?  Because I’m made up of hundreds of OTHER imperfections, good qualities, and experiences, this just happens to be one of them.  Through this experience God has revealed to me my true passion and for that I am forever grateful.  I feel that my earnest revelation prayer  that I prayed on May 5th 2009 continues to be answered.  It seems that each day different pieces of this “life puzzle” fall into place as God shines the light on my path and I surrender my will daily (sometimes MANY times throughout the day!)

You have to know that while writing this I’m feeling very vulnerable.  Exposed.  Naked.  One thing we wrote about with Keeping it Personal in Who we are is this, “We want to inspire you to keep it personal in your daily interactions.  Inspire you to look for the moments where you can impact the lives of others around you by sharing your experiences and your story.”  This is my moment and that is why I’m sharing this story.  Maybe, just maybe, this post can impact the life of one person.  Maybe, this post can be shared with another person who has a similar struggle to give them hope.  Maybe, you’re reading this and want to connect with me because you can relate.  Whatever the reason I’m feeling compelled to share……..thy will be done.

Daily KIP: Go for it! Take action! Make the decision! Take the leap of faith and do what you know you need to do. You may be embarking on new territory, you may not feel “good enough”, or you just might have fear of what others might think. “Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it… that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.” ~Dale Carnegie

Daily KIP: Have you ever made a wrong choice because you wanted to “fit in” or be like everyone else? Why do we, at times, allow the values or actions of others dictate our behavior and attitudes? Be careful that the values of your friends or those you look up to don’t steer you away from doing the right thing. It is OK to be different and NOT be like everyone else.