Wednesday, November 11, 2015

So I've Moved . . . come follow me please!!




Follow me on twitter: @SolidLifeInt

And share me with your friends and family!

Love you . . . the journey is about to go deep!!

God is so good!!

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Heart Connection

Daily we are given the opportunity to engage in a conversation.  That conversation can be with a friend, your spouse, maybe your parents, a co-worker or perhaps the cashier at the grocery store.  Regardless of who the individual is, you are given an opportunity to engage or better yet connect at a heart level.

A close friend of mine gifted me a book called "Keep Your Love On" by Danny Silk.  This book came to me at a time in my life where I wanted more love in my life.  I wanted the God kind of love.  I was hungry for His love to increase in me and around me.  In one of the chapters Danny Silk summarizes "The 5 Love Languages" in a way that resounded in my heart.  It truly was a heart connection.

Allow me to explain my "heart connection".  Several years ago I read the book and have taken the test for "The 5 Love Languages" written by Gary Chapman.  When I took the 5 love language test I gained insight on how I receive and give love.  To my surprise the result pretty much nailed it on how my "love tank" gets full, through Acts of Service and Quality Time.  How I receive love is also how I give love to others.  That's wonderful if the other persons tank fills up with the same love fuel as yours but if it doesn't then you've left the other person feeling empty in their love tank.  Learning the other persons love language and acting on it will take connection to a genuine heart level.  

I enjoy learning and gaining understanding of who I am and how others operate.  What I do with the new information about myself and others is a different story.   Here's the reality of it, I gained a new tool to connect with people and yet I am seeking for more love in my life so that I can connect with others at a deeper level.  So, why does my love tank feel depleted?  On a subconscious level the 5 love languages had become a task for me.  I was receiving and giving love out of performance.  So, in reality I wasn't genuinely connecting.  I was only hearing the words of the different languages and not the heart of the love languages.

God is good and faithful!  He heard my cry for His love to increase in me and around me.  When I read the words written on the pages from the book "Keep Your Love On" I heard the heart of a fathers love.  At that moment I realized I connected to all 5 love languages - Acts of Service, Gift Giving, Touch, Words of Affirmation, and Quality Time at a heart level.  By no means does this moment of growth imply that I have mastered all 5 love languages.  On the contrary I have lots to learn, which means lots to put into action.  However, this new level of growth and insight of love is an opportunity for me to choose to hear the persons heart and not the words that come out in conversation.  Therefore, allowing me to connect at a deeper and richer heart level!  

Enjoy your journey of growth and embrace new levels of Gods goodness in your life!

BTW,  if you've never read "The 5 Love Languages" I would  encourage you to invest the time and money so that you may experience new levels of intimacy with your loved ones and those that God has purposed in your life.  This book will give you insight on how to receive and give love that will allow you to have deeper and richer levels of intimacy.

Be blessed and create success!!!

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Ready or not, it's time!

About 3 weeks ago I received a text from a dear friend asking me if it was ok to mention me and my husband in her blog, www.iamcrowned.blogspot.com  She stated that our faces kept coming up when she was thinking about her next write up and wanted our permission to use our names.

You see, my friend and her husband went through a season of many challenges.  That's pretty normal especially if you're married, right?  However, in the midst of their challenges they willingly sought out for guidance, wisdom and counsel.  Now that's NOT normal!  My friend and her husband came to us not because we offered the perfect guidance, ultimate wisdom or sound counsel but because we were safe to them.  If you're not familiar with the term "Safe Place" I would encourage you to read my post dated September 1, 2009 titled "Creating A Safe Place".

In the many years that my husband and I have counseled numerous couples we have experienced a common thread about us.  That thread is "safety".  I give all the credit to my heavenly Father because He is the one that created us and placed within us the gift of "safety" for others to experience!  We serve a BIG God and a GOOD God!  He has great plans for all of us.  Plans to succeed and plans to  prosper in our relationships, marriages, business, ministry, parenting and all that is placed before us!!!  He is our place of safety!

The second part or request in my friends text to me was that she wanted to promote me and my husbands marriage ministry, Solid Life International.  As soon as I read the part about promoting us I immediately got the picture of a hand gently pushing me and my husband out and saying "Ready or not, it's time".  This image brought up emotions of excitement!

I immediately shared the text with my husband and he expressed the same excitement but took it one step further.  I was not prepared or ready for what he was about to say to me.  He said "That's awesome…maybe time for you to start blogging for Solid Life International".  Whoa wait a minute, the image I got was the two of us gently being pushed out to do this thing called marriage ministry not me doing a blog.  Like I stated early, we serve a BIG God and a GOOD God which means something big is about to happen.  

I've always had this fear of writing and to top it off I  believed the lie that I'm not a good writer.  My sweet friend, Ronnie once said to me that fears and lies are nothing but a distraction from the enemy.  There is truth to that statement.  My last post is dated September 2009, which means that for 6 years I allowed the enemy to distract me from writing a blog about life, women, marriages, relationships, encouragement, hope and Gods goodness.  Ready or not, it's time to experience new levels of Gods goodness!!!    

My husband, my best friend, my confident, my lover, my #1 supporter, and my daily gift from above said to me "The true you was ready then, now it's time".   It's because of his support and encouragement that I am sharing this blog and will continue to share.   

Thank you my love for believing in me, for your unfailing love and for being you!!!


James 1:2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors.  So don't try to get out of anything prematurely.  Let it do its work so you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Gentle Reminder From A Sweet Friend!

After several months of hibernation and a gentle reminder from a sweet friend to getting back to blogging I can say that I am excited to share God's goodness with you!

I want to thank my husband for always supporting me in my growth and encouraging me to live life to its fullest. To all my friends and family who cheer me on in my journey of blogging, I thank you tremendously and love you dearly.

Please read below to read my most recent blog - Creating A "Safe Place"

Be blessed and create success!
Lina

Creating a Safe Place

You may be asking yourselves "Lina, what is the Safe Place, who creates this place and what is the purpose of a Safe Place?"

A "Safe Place" is an opportunity to experience real feelings with protection, trust and value. Being able to share your emotional experience and the ability to getting truth is creating a safe place!

The "Safe Place" is not a place to tell others what he/she did wrong. Instead, it is a place of ownership of what you are feeling. Feelings are real but not necessarily the truth.

Both men and women have the responsibility for creating a safe place in all areas of life - family, marriage, friendship and business. Men are charged with the responsibility of casting a vision and leading. Women are designed to nurture and enhance what has been put before them. Together they must be able to enter into a "Safe Place" to create what God has charged them with.

Psalm 91 describes the safe place to be a place of refuge. A place where we can live and rest with Him. As his children we have the responsibility to receive what has been freely given to us and create His place of refuge with people He has put before us. The "Safe Place" is designed to provide shelter, protection and comfort in times of great stress and fear.

I encourage you to meditate on Psalm 91 and entrust yourself to His protection. Then allow yourself to create that "Safe Place" with the people you have been entrusted with. Above all, enjoy your journey of being in a safe place, a place of refuge.


"You evolve not by seeking to go elsewhere but by paying attention to and embracing what's in front of you." unknown author

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Is your identity based on your ability?

You see God intended for women to operate in their full potential. However, most women function from an unknown identity, living an unfulfilled life. Therefore, not being able to see themselves the way God designed them to be. As women, we tend to base our identity on our ability. You see, as long as I make no mistakes, my identity is based on my ability to take care of my husband, tend to the kids, keep the house in order, provide home cooked meals, advance in my career and my contribution to the community. If I can't see myself being able to fulfill all that I was called to do, then I begin to feel overwhelmed and bogged down with life. Ask yourself, is your identity based on your own ability or God's ability? The word says in Phil 4:13 "...that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you". Is this true in your life? Are you experiencing victory in all that you do? Or are you experiencing defeat and failure? Are you toiling? We were designed to live in victory, to walk in love, to have abundance and to be over comers. It's time to walk a life of victory and experience triumph and success. You were made in "...His likeness and image..." (Gen 1:26-27). Pull on His ability, so that you may experience your potential. Then, dare to dream with Him and allow Him to fill in the details. Connect to His emotions so that you are equipped to conquering life's many challenges. Begin to operate in your full potential based on your identity of who you are in Christ!


"You evolve not by seeking to go elsewhere but by paying attention to and embracing what's in front of you." unknown author


Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Are you who you want to be?

Purpose is what fuels your talent & giftings. It is what feeds our hopes, dreams and desires. When purpose is clear, it equips us for the next level of success, ultimately walking a life of victory! So why, is it that as women we struggle with identity, purpose and calling? Could it possibly be that we have conformed to the ways of the world? Or, maybe we have been conditioned to become someone else? Do you find yourself toiling when it comes to connecting with others? If you've answered yes to any one of these questions, then I envite you to follow me on this journey of understanding purpose. Embark on this journey and dare to evolve to become the woman you were called to be.

"You evolve not by seeking to go elsewhere but by paying attention to and embracing what's in front of you." unknown author