Finding joy and peace in life will begin with understanding the purpose behind the person. It goes beyond what you love to do and uncovers the heart of why Love created you in the first place. The world will try to dictate the path that you journey, but knowing your purposeful passion will bring you to the place you were designed to discover.

The path to that life will be simple - all you have to do is what you were created to do. The steps to move down that path will not always be EASY because sometimes it means giving up the now for what comes down the road. In other words, becoming a person of purposeful passion often means living a life of sacrifice instead of selfishness.

I have read a lot in the news about TimTebow as of late. Football is part of society around here, but I never got in to it all that much. It was writing that brought me to football and to Tim Tebow. I started writing a regular college football column and discov...

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"I need an office." I looked around at all of my projects stacked in pieces around the house. My husband would tell you that I just need to get organized – at least he might in most circumstances. I think he even collapsed under the magnitude of what he saw.

"See what you can work out."

I spent several hours researching different desk configurations. I spent some additional time prepping the far side of the bedroom to accept its new purpose. We both spent two days shopping for the perfect piece of furniture to place in the space that would make it an office and a lounge.

The space continued to sit unused and I continued to need an office.

A new light dawned on me today. All of that energy spent trying to create exactly what I wanted for my space could have been utilized moving me forward to exactly what I want to be in life. I wasted time and energy looking for that perfect something. In the end, nothing will ever be perfect. "It is not what I thought...

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“I think we might want to look at this in another week.” The first man sat looking at the project papers.

“You decided to make the change I see.” The second man sat next to him looking at the same papers.

“We can look at this in another week and then make a decision.” The first man repeated his thoughts about the project they were reviewing.

“So we are ready to go.” The second man agreed with his own ideas.

“It is important to review the options.” The first man pointed to the papers.

“I’m glad we agree.” The second man nodded along.

All of the talking going on can keep the people that are involved from listening to what is being said. Words become congested and block communication.

Two people having the same conversation but not listening to each other creates the perfect storm for trouble. I can talk to you and you can talk to me, but if neither of us listens then all we are ...

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Anything that has two heads is a monster. My mind took that idea in a whole new direction when I thought about it this morning.

The scariest monsters have always been those with multiple heads. The hero never knows which one will attack. Cutting off one of the heads only makes matters more difficult because more grow back in the place of the one.

Multiple heads make for a difficult situation for everyone involved.

I thought about mythical monsters for a moment, and then I looked at my own home and life.

The world says the man is the head of the house. In many homes, he controls the finances and has the final say on all things. The homes where the women try to be the head end up with enough bickering and fighting to push everyone from the space. Two heads makes a monster and no one wants to live with a monster.

My husband and I have been looking for a peaceful way to end the rule of the two headed monster. I have strugg...

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Today caused struggle after struggle – or maybe it was my procrastination, selfishness and lackadaisical attitude that got in the way. Whatever the reason or excuse, the results were the same. I accomplished very little of what I set out to do.

Tomorrow will be different.

I have a plan to make a plan so that I can follow the plan and get things accomplished. My plan will direct my actions and keep me on task. The right plan will always make a difference – or maybe it is my own lack of action in putting the plan to work that keeps things out of balance. Whatever the reason, or excuse, another plan will only get me as far as I choose to take it.

Tomorrow will be different.

The sun comes up and the sun goes down. A wise child taught a wise man that no matter what he does this will occur. I have a limited amount of time to do what needs to be done and I seem to focus all of that time on doing what I know is keeping me from the tasks...

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Common sense tells us a lot of things, but it is AMAZING the things that it does not tell us. I have three kids, and I tried to explain to my contractor that having water proof sheetrock in the bathroom is a MUST. It is also important that all areas of the tub, shower and sink be caulked and sealed like locking down Fort Knox.

"They will never get water up there." I understand his thinking, but it is the thinking of a man that does not have three boys. I know better.

Only a few days after my conversation with the contractor, I had the chance to fellowship with some friends that also have a large brud. The husband commented on our new ceiling and said he would like to have something like that in his bathroom. "The boys ruined the popcorn ceiling in the bathroom by getting it wet." Experience teaches us that the impossible can be possible with the right circumstances.

I have wasted many hours trying to figure out the how or the why of...

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The dogwood tree in the back yard is in full bloom. It glistens white against the stark remainders of winter and the debris left behind by the storms. All around it the green of spring is just waiting to burst through. Right now it stands as a beacon of hope and light – alone, but strong.

A lot of things changed in my life over the last year. The tornadoes were only one of the storms that ripped through and caused scars. Watching all of the chaos and devastation left by the storms – the real ones and the emotional ones – created a hole in my heart. There were moments that I wondered if the holes would continue to grow and expand or if they would soon be filled.

Last night I pulled up to my house after facing down one of those storms. That dogwood tree stood shining in my backyard. It survived. After all of the trees thrown on it, all of the construction around it and all that it faced during the year, it survived.

And I will too.

Finding My Survival
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"How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop?" A commercial that featured a wise old owl promised to answer that question. The owl made it to three licks and then chomped down. "The world may never know."

That commercial came back to my mind when my son was walking around with a sucker counting. He was determined to be the one that discovered the truth. He made it to 275 before something distracted him and he lost count. "The world may never know."

Each of us has been designed with a unique seed inside us. The world WILL never know about that seed because it is beyond the comprehension of the world. The problem is that most of us will never know because the seed cannot be discovered through short cuts or reached by chasing down distractions.

Getting to the Center

- Patience. The journey happens over a lifetime. That means that some stretches will take longer than others and there tends to be no way...

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My dog heard a noise and started to dig. She dug so long and so hard that the next day she struggled to walk. The day her strength returned she was back at that same hole digging away. She was determined to uncover whatever it was that she thought she could discover.

There are many things that I want from my life, but I have never been so determined that I dug until I hurt and then returned to dig some more. The pain would push me from my intended goal or else drive me into a whole new direction.

The level of importance will determine the level of commitment. The more that I want to do or be the more I will be willing to sacrifice and dig to get to that point. I have to find a way to create a path to that level of determination that will move me to the success that I desire.

Develop that Hole Digging Determination

- Review the past. Looking back to see where you have been can help create a determination to drive into the future. The past can also reve...

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"Adjust the thoughts (beliefs) and the actions will fall into alignment." My friend, Kirk Nugent, shared this idea with me on his Facebook page. It seems that his words of focus and inspiration always show up when I need them the most. I had earlier been complaining about how I was struggling to get my writing completed for the day.

According to Kirk, my words will put my actions into place so that things will fall in line. My life at that moment seemed so out of focus that just SEEING that line would be impossible. His words made me wonder if maybe my thoughts are not what I thought they were.

What am I thinking if I am not doing what I want?

I struggled to figure out how I could believe I was doing one thing but not get the actions I expected if I was doing that thing. Maybe it was that I was almost doing it or maybe it was just that my radar was not tuned in to the right frequency.

"It is a conflict between what I want now and what I want long ...

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