And Then I Met Gabby

I am often amazed how God works in my life. When once upon a time I could not "feel" his presence. When I thought that because of all of my mistakes and bad choices, that He would never help me, love me or forgive me.

It was ME, it was my lack of belief and trust that was the problem. I am really glad that I was wrong about Him, and even happier that He brought me to the experiences I needed to ask for His help in hopes of actually getting it. This is why I am thankful for the horrible moments and struggles in my life, for without them, I would never have needed Him.

I am writing this on day 6 of a 9 day family vacation, and although it may seem strange that I am "working" on vacation by writing this blog post, I was inspired to do so and with all the violence that has happened over the last few days; innocent men being shot dead by men with authority and firearms, I KNOW that this is coming at a perfect time. Now I know why God put Gabby in my life.

If you have ever read any of my blogs, you know that I think miles outside of the box, that I can pull a positive twist from the straightest of lines to help you see a side you may never have realized in a situation, encounter or circumstance.

Today is one of those days.

The other day, we stopped at Publix, a grocery store for those who may not be familiar, to get a few things before heading back to our condo for the night. My niece wanted to get a sandwich from the deli, so we headed over to stand in line. In front of us, was a mother and her 3 children. The youngest of the 3 decided to look at me and smile big, so I smiled back and quickly said "hello there, how are you today?" She innocently threw me a Cheshire grin and said "Hi, guess what? I was the first one in line for a sandwich." I chuckled and told her that they should give her a prize for that and she happily agreed with me.

We proceeded to carry on a delightful conversation as we stood waiting for our orders to be filled. This exuberant little girl had so much to say and her personality was simply amazing. She impressed me, and I complimented her mother on what an amazing child she was. Her mother chuckled and shared that she was quite a character and that I probably shouldn't blow her head up too much. I laughed and said, "well, unfortunately, you have no idea who you have run into... I tend to find the best in people and help them shine, it's what I do." She smiled.

We continued to talk and Gabby (such an appropriate name for this child) continued to impress and entertain  me during what would have been a boring wait in line with delightful conversation. I told her that she was amazing, that I felt she would become something great one day, and that the world needed to know who she was. 

It was at this time I asked how old she was and she pridefully said "3". I was absolutely FLOORED! "3??? Are you kidding me?", I said to her mom. I was so incredibly blessed by meeting this little ball of joy. I immediately asked her mother's permission to share a blog about Gabby... I asked her if she would send me a picture since Gabby felt she "looked a mess" being that she had just been at a water park. I was thrilled when her mother said yes to both. We borrowed a pen from the deli manager and on the back of a menu, her mother wrote her contact info.

It is not the simple meeting of this 3 year old amazing little girl that I was so excited to share with you today. What excited me and inspired me, was how this little girl made the simple choice to smile at me, it was the innocence in that beautiful smile that moved my soul. It was how that smile provoked me to speak to her and how those first few words led to a wonderful conversation. It is how that conversation made a negative wait in line a wonderful experience, and now has become an inspiring story to all of you.

It's a ripple effect, the butterfly effect, the wonders of paying attention to a small encounter in your life and using it for a MUCH bigger purpose. The ability to realize that God puts everyone in your life for a reason. Finding purpose is why we have been given gifts and feelings, and experiences. Things we go through SHOULD bring us to bigger purpose. To live with purpose, is to live life as it was intended.

I am not sure if my simple little blog will make Gabby famous, I am not certain that millions will read, but I KNOW with the history of my posts, that thousands will and at least one person who reads this will be inspired, at least one person will smile and maybe think of how one small gesture, act of kindness or how telling a story can ultimately change someone's day, life, and even the world.

I could easily be saddened and consumed by the way our world lives in fear, how people no longer talk to their neighbors or speak to strangers because they are glued to their phone screens, or simply afraid to speak. I could be paralyzed by how hate is fueled by mere differences in lifestyle and opinion. Instead, I hang on to wonderful little moments that shed a glimmer of hope. I am inspired by people like me who are not afraid; people like Gabby.

I read my Bible to learn about how we are to live, act towards others, and get through the struggles that come. I wish I had done this years ago, but am thankful that I have done this for the past three years. As I have learned and applied what I learn, life has become easier, more peaceful and my trust in God has grown exponentially. I KNOW as long as I lean into Him, I will have peace in my struggles. I know that EVERY person He brings into my life crosses my path for a greater purpose, and I ask to be shown that purpose.

Thank you Gabby, for smiling at me... although you are young and may not be able to fully comprehend the impact it had on me, I encourage you to please... keep smiling at strangers. You will have impact on many people through life if you stay EXACTLY who you are.  Keep being amazing, Dream SUPER BIG, and NEVER give up on those dreams little girl. YOU have the potential to become ANYTHING that you want to be and certainly have the personality to get you there! No matter what anyone tells you, no matter how many people may tell you you cant', KNOW that I think that you CAN!

Thanks to her mom Mandy for allowing your precious little girl to have a conversation with a complete stranger, and by allowing me to share your little girl with my readers. By doing so, my blog was brought back to life after a much needed break .

To my fans... my readers... my friends.  SHELLS IS BACK!

Until next time....

PURSUE WHAT YOU HOPE FOR; LEAVE BEHIND WHAT YOU WISH TO FORGET.... 

xoxo

Shells

WWW.THESGIARDGROUP.COM

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Walking in the Footsteps of Faith

As I sit here at my keyboard tonight... so many things are swirling around in my head. My thoughts are a hurricane of mixed emotion all wrapped up in a tiny box, crowding the space in my head. The sensible part of me wants to grab the wheel and take control; to force things to happen the way that I want, need or hope them to be, because that is what I have always done. I have always been the lone survivor.  However, the faithful side of me; the side that has grown tremendously says... be still, give up control, do it differently this time and maybe your results will change. I am telling myself to let it rest on the shoulders of my faith and am trying so hard to listen closely to what I am being led to do.

JUST GIVE UP...

We are taught to not give up... and trust me, I will NEVER give up, but as believers we ARE taught to give up... to surrender our worries, our troubles and our lives to God and trust in His faithfulness. Yet walking in the footsteps of faith, although we know that is what we are supposed to do, is the hardest thing to do; especially when we are essentially putting full trust into something we cannot see.. touch or feel. However, when you have lived a life like mine, full of self induced trials and challenges caused by poor decisions, God has a way of showing up in a way that you CAN feel Him... and that does make it easier to trust in times when my faith is tested. When I should be weak, I am finding strength... by diving in and giving up.

WHEN WE CAN'T HE CAN

I have talked a lot lately in my posts about prayer... mainly because I am completely on my knees each day with all that is going on in my life. What's interesting is that I have had a lot of activity on these posts; more than normal actually. What that tells me, is that I need to continue being a voice for God; people are needing it, seeking it, wanting it. My paths have changed and even though I am facing a lot of struggle right now, I know beyond all of it lies a gift... a chance to grow in my faith once again. I have been here before...  not the exact circumstance, but in a situation similar enough to see through to the other side. When we can't, He can. 

ONCE YOU HAVE IT 

Faith that grows is like a vine that never ends... it winds through your heart, into your mind and embraces you like a blanket on a chilly night. You will still get cold, but when you do,  you know that all you have to do is wrap yourself tighter and the cold will not penetrate. Once you have faith... once you have experienced what it can truly do in your life, you will never be alone. When you feel alone, you will simply remind yourself that you can trust it, that you need to seek more the more troubled your life becomes. Realize that adversity is a gift... it serves a purpose.

ALL OR NOTHING

When you have nothing, all you have are two choices. Grab the wheel, hug the curves and hope for the best or let go and put it on cruise control... allowing God to set the path. Give it your all or give it nothing. Give Him your all and He will give you nothing... but grace.

AND SO IT IS

On my way to church yesterday, I was looking for clarity,  I had been praying about it all week. A few times through tears and confusion. I came off stage after the praise and worship (I am on the worship team) and sat down in my normal front row seat having no idea what the pastor was going to give his message on. As always... God answered my prayer, yet again. He grew my faith even more. He laid peace upon me in one simple passage which I will share at the close of this post. I know the storms will continue beyond doubt, until He has formed me into all that I am to be through Him. 

DON'T GIVE UP...  BUT GIVE IN

It is so easy to give up... to give up trying, give up fighting, give up dreaming and what we hope for in our lives; it's what most people do. We must NEVER give up because HE doesn't give up on us. We must simply give in... give our worries, fears and uncertainty to the one who will carry us through. We must listen and take the steps we are led to take. We must walk in the footsteps of our faith; that is what will lead us to the life we were meant for. A life filled with love, prosperity,  hope and true happiness.

In closing, I will share that passage that meant everything to me yesterday, it gave me the clarity that I was looking for. It was the reminder that I needed to embrace the troubles, to be thankful for them and to know that I am being perfected by Him, through Him and for Him. I hope that you too can find peace in this message, in this post and share it with someone who may need it.

" Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing" James1:2-4

Until next time... be faithful

xoxo

Shells

WWW.THESGIARDGROUP.COM

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Big Miracles... Big Gifts... Tiny Packages

Sometimes, on Monday's (especially those falling after a holiday weekend off) it's really hard to get your mind back into gear. However, when you have responsibilities and duties such as being a regular blogger, you can't let that be an excuse and with that comes pressure. (BTW, that is a sure-fire way of getting writers block) UGH! This happened to me tonight. Two hours ago, although I posted my "It's blog time" status on Facebook... at the time, I had no topic. I was trying to reverse-psychology myself into coming up with an idea really fast. #FAIL! So.... I decided to wash my face and get ready for bed, then come back to it.

 There I was, in the bathroom washing my face still trying to think of a topic to blog on after an hour or more hour with no luck, I instantly thought...  I will blog on "Do you ever wonder why certain things happen to certain people; how the nicest people typically end up with the most adversity while the heartless jerks make millions and never skip a beat?" The topic transpired as I thought of something that happened late last night with a fan on my page, and as I have shared in my book, adversity has been the story of my own life. I finished washing my face, sat at my computer screen ready to bang out a blog and said "better check email one last time" ( BTW, I had just checked it before washing my face) and in my email inbox I found Amy's story; the fan I was just thinking of from last night.

Now, let me tell you who Amy is. Last night, I was up really late because I could not sleep. (Imagine that) All day long, I had been sharing the link to my friend's fundraising page which was started on July 4th to hopefully raise the money it will take to save her son's life on all my social media sites. (see details in my last blog post)  I was posting real-time updates on how much we had raised so far, attacking this fundraising mission with Gazelle intensity when I suddenly saw a post from a fan of mine whom I do not personally know; her name was Amy. Amy said that she wished she could help but that she was "raising money for her own purpose, to buy her son who was born "asleep" a headstone, but how nice it was to see people pull together to try and help Kody." I suggested that she share Kody's  link on her page and that I would reciprocate by sharing hers on all my social media pages and that way we could help each other without having to involve money. I went further and stated that maybe we could have her on the Hopes Not A Crime radio show and asked her to email me the entire story of her son Caleb to me. She graciously shared our link for Kody's fundraiser and Shellie and I both donated and shared her cause. I of course realized even more, how lucky so many of us truly are. 

As I read her ENTIRE story in email, tears overcame me... as I thought... God just connected us, holy Toledo, GOD just TOTALLY happened! (That's what I believe anyway... it's okay if you are not on board with that, it's still a great story.) NOTHING is by chance; it's ALL on purpose, and I say that all of the time; (my whole book is on that very fact in a more generic sense)

Now that I have read Amy's ENTIRE story, I am seriously overwhelmed. I am speechless, like truly speechless. You have NO idea what these kind of moments mean to me! (Nothing like really feeling connected to the big kahuna) I just wrote Amy back telling her that I am a speaker "aka" Hope Ambassador, for Hopes Not a Crime Ministry and that we look for people JUST LIKE HER to share their stories of keeping hope & faith  through adversity, and that we wanted to put her story on our radio show. I cannot wait to hear back from her, this girl has a story much more profound that losing her son and not having enough money for a headstone. It's truly heart-wrenching in many different directions!

To add  the final layer to the story, I will share that the radio show's guests are typically booked out three weeks in advance, but Shellie messed up her show schedule during all of her own recent struggles of finding out her son Kody had masses in his lungs and throat and seeing him through sudden lung surgery last week. She made a mistake in all the chaos and has nobody for the show this week which she just shared with me last night in a bit of a panic. We were brainstorming together about it and had come up with a fill-in idea, but then, I saw Amy's post on my fan page... and responded to it, and then she responded back tonight while I was washing my face and simultaneously thinking of her with this unbelievable story of faith hope and perseverance WAY beyond a grave with no stone.

No matter how messed up, depressing, or empty your life may seem at times... be happy that you HAVE life, that you are not mourning over someone you lost or needing to raise money for your own cause. Thank you Amy Keaton, for sharing Kody's cause on your page while you are at the same time trying to raise money for a gravestone for your beautiful little Caleb who went back to see Jesus the very day he was born. I KNOW God will bless you with this simple request; to mark the place where his little child rests. Here is me paying it forward! 

CLICK FOR CALEB:

http://www.gofundme.com/38olxs

We want to help Amy get that headstone for Caleb but trust me, her story which we will share on air will give YOU MUCH, MUCH more! I will share the link later this week if we get to air her full story on the show!

SO... 

The moral of this blog is... you don't have to have money to GIVE to a cause, you don't have to do something over the top to change someones life. All you have to do is put heart into something, FEEL that feeling that stirs within you and ACT on it. Big Miracles and Big Gifts often come in the most simple, least impressive & most tiny packages. 

Goodnight, sleep tight may you be blessed beyond your dreams!

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CLICK FOR KODY:

http://fundly.com/a-mother-fighting-for-her-son#supporters/donors

CLICK FOR MY STORY:

www.Ineedthehappyending.com

WOW, JUST WOW! 

XOXO

~SHELLS~