Don't be like the rest of them, darling!

In preparing for the New Year, I did a quick study on habits. One particular stat was rather alarming. US News and World Report said 80% of New Year Resolutions fail by February. 80%! While a Forbes study reported 8% of people achieve their New Year Resolutions. Only eight percent of the world, friends, will do what they set out to do this year.

"80% of New Year Resolutions fail by February."

Do you want to know what the most common excuse is for why people don't follow through? TIME. It's alway time. I don't have enough time to read, to connect with friends, to drive out to see a loved one, to start that project you know needs done. It always comes back to time. And telling yourself that you don't have enough time is a lie that will rob you of authentic connection.

Don't be like everyone else. Not this year. Not you. If you have time to feel bad, complain, or check social media, then you have time to meditate, write in your journal or create a list of goals. Make a list of things you are grateful for and better yourself.

Make time for what matters first, then fill in your to-dos, work, errands around them.

One of my greatest super powers is preparation. Every Sunday I plan the week out before it begins. I plan first on paper. Then I transfer the most important meetings to my phone. I have learned that when you plan your time, you're able to accomplish far more than you imagine in a day. Don't forget—your tip of the week is to plan in your down time FIRST. Plan in time with your spouse, when you're going to call your parents, or how you can make someone's day. Then plan your workouts, your work commitment, and checking in on your financial health weekly. Be diligent with planning your time for it is the only thing in life that we can never get back. There is no refund on time. Every moment you spend is gone forever. So, spend it wisely!

Tip of the week: Make time for what matters first, then fill in your to-dos, work, errands around them.

Made for Winter

I want to speak for a moment about winter. And, why I'm so crazy in love with the snow.

There are so many seasons in our life that are winter. It's not just when snow is covering the ground like today. It's when you're forced to face disease, hardship, financial strife, stress at your career, or in your relationships—whatever that may be. In your health perhaps. Whatever seasons of your life bring winter, I challenge you to find joy. Because if you can find joy in the snow, if you can find joy in the freezing temperatures, where it's unbearably cold and go outside and play like a little kid, then you can certainly find it when the sun is shining, and when life is easy.

There are so many seasons in our life that are winter.

When situations in front of you seem to be daunting, I challenge you to look up, look outside at the beauty and wonder of what snow can do in your life—of what it does to the trees and nature. And, what snow does to dogs, especially the big dogs. They go outside and they run, and play and jump and tackle themselves in the snow. In the worst of conditions—freezing cold—and they love it. They love it! Why?

Because they have unconditional love for life regardless of circumstances.

The snow, you know what else it causes us to do? It causes us to pause. To just stop. To restore. I had one of the hardest weeks this past week. Mentally, physically, emotionally I was tasked and challenged and faced adversity that I didn't see coming. You might have experienced this as well. Every single week so far this year, we have only had two now, I keep thinking "this is not how my year is going to go". It's already half way through the first month of the year—half way through! And, at the end of the week, on Friday I thought I'm just going to relax this weekend and unplug. And, God, as brilliant as He is, crafted the greatest, most beautiful first snow of the year.

I was so powerfully reminded that the low times bring about new seasons of growth. Do not get stagnant and hold on to the past or resist the winter. Be open to change. Be open to loving things that are hard. Know there is something greater ahead. Know that life will never be dull or predictable. Situations, circumstances, relationships will always contain surprises.

Resist your urgency to seek the easy road, or get weighed down by the heaviness. Decide to learn from the adventure. Decide to live like the trees in the picture below. They may bend with the heaviness, yet they are still strong and stunning. Then, come spring the extra layer of moisture will have nourished them to bloom with abundance.

"I was so powerfully reminded that the low times bring about new seasons of growth."

All roads lead through winter. Embrace the ride. It's really quite stunning.

Another advantage to this giant Snow Globe? It encapsulated everyone this weekend and truly brought the city alive. A fresh blanket of new beginnings covered ever inch of nature. And every picture on social media showed families playing together, building snowmen, sledding and being kids again. I promise you, we all needed the opportunity to redirect our thoughts, time and intention.

The snow illuminated the crazy, enthusiastic fans of the KC Chiefs! The energy inside of the Chief's kingdom last night was electric. Even the announcer, Al Michaels, opening line was describing the magic of the Arrowhead Snow Globe!

You see friends, you get to choose what magic is inside of your home—what magic is inside of your heart. I encourage you to write down your wins—one victory a day in a gratitude journal. Find the beauty in winter. Notice the good in one tiny thing a day. This quickly shifts your perspective from "I can't survive this" to "I can grow from this." And, slowly, you will start to seek out the good, to create life, to live with intention in your seasons of winter. Your gratitude journal can start small and soon, you will have trained your mind to see the good in everything you do. Then, suddenly an avalanche of grace, abundance and favor will come back to you. Simply embrace the storm. Start to look for the good and your entire world will change.

"You see friends, you get to choose what magic is inside of your home—what magic is inside of your heart."

"An avalanche of grace, abundance and favor will come back to you. Simply embrace the storm."

I want to encourage you: all of the stuff you feel like you need to do today—don't. PAUSE. Hit the pause button. What snow does to us, what the roads do, what the trees do, it just says wait. Give time to yourself today. Take a bath, read a book, get through some emails you need to get through. Whatever it is—stay indoors with your family for movies, live intentionally today, play outside with the dogs. Pause on all of the stuff that does not need to be done. Look outside. Take a drive. Embrace all of our surroundings that is covered head to toe in happiness.

"What snow does to us, what the roads do, what the trees do, it just says wait. Give time to yourself today."

For a moment today I thought, "Wouldn't this have been nice weather to get at Christmas?" But in fact, it is a gift to receive today, halfway through the first month of the year to say "Life is great. I am beauty. I am wonder. I am joy." Preserve your family and your hearts. Live in the moment. Give peace to those around you by creating peace within you. And it can simply be done by looking out the window today. The magic and awe and wonder of nature and our surroundings is all around us.

"Give peace to those around you by creating peace within you."

Friends, if you can survive and thrive and find JOY in the hardest of circumstances in life, then you can find it in any of them. So today, get outside. Play. Embrace the winter. Embrace the snow. Find the beauty and sunshine even though it's not out there. Create your own. Create your own joy regardless of the circumstances. That is my wish for you today, is to find joy in the snow. Get out there and make some magic.

"If you can survive and thrive and find JOY in the hardest of circumstances in life, then you can find it in any of them."

Snow Globe

The first fall of snow is not only an event, but it's a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of world and wake up to find yourself in another quite different.

And, if this is not enchantment, where is it to be found?

A snow globe is a transparent sphere, traditionally made of glass, enclosing a miniaturized scene of some sort, often together with a model of a town, landscape or figure.

Stop for a moment. Think about your life. Think about the most magical days of your being, and picture enclosing it in a snow globe. Picture a moment that you wanted time to stand still. How can you encapsulate that moment in your heart so bright and so purposefully that you can look back on the tough days and find relief. Or, embrace the joy so you can reminisce on the good days.

Pick a moment in your life that represents agape love—selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. A moment rooted in faith, hope and love will serve your spirit in ways you can't even imagine yet. Agape love is the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. Agape love is what God gives us every day. Regardless of how we show up—He loves us that much. How would our lives be different if we intentionally sought out relationships of agape love?

Our lives, every moment, can be lived this intentionally. It's all a choice.

The second key element of the snow globe is that it encloses water in the globe. The water serves as the medium through which the "snow" falls.

How often does water play a medium in our lives? When I look back at these pictures from our wedding day, the ones of us by Gore Creek stand out to me significantly. The stream, brook, river, water, creek is a stream of life.

The mere definition of Brook is a small, natural stream of fresh water. It's no secret that the greatest joy I have in my life is to bring life and refreshment to those around me. So even before I was born, God knew the meaning of my life's work and gave that name to my parents.

Finally, to activate the snow, the globe is shaken to churn up the white particles. The globe is then placed back in its position and the flakes fall down slowly through the water. Snow globes sometimes have a built-in music box that plays a song. Some snow globes have a design around the outerbase for decoration.

And, our lives are the same. Some days we hear theme songs playing in the background as if we were the lead actor in a rom-com movie. And, other days we do our best to design the exterior of our lives, the surface part, to put on a show. But, at the end of day, we must activate our snow. We must shake up our lives. We must allow the world to knock us around and let the pieces fall as they may. Then sit back and embrace change like the first snow fall of the year. Embrace the magic of enchantment.

But, at the end of day, we must activate our snow. We must shake up our lives. We must allow the world to knock us around and let the pieces fall as they may. Then sit back and embrace change like the first snow fall of the year. Embrace the magic of enchantment.