Get Plugged in and Dialed in.

In John Baker's book Life's Healing Choices he shares a quote that is mighty powerful, "we rarely change when life is cool and comfortable, we change when we feel the heat." You have to admit that is profound and most likely pertains to all of our lives at one time or another.

This morning I would like to talk about being plugged in and dialed in to your life. Basically, learning and living your authentic self.

Let's get silly for a minute. Every person reading this has household devices that require being plugged in to work. The coffee maker,  blow dryer, vacuum cleaner, lamps, ceiling fans, etc. You get the point. All of these items are extremely important when they are needed, right. The humor is this, without them being PLUGGED IN they are rather useless, wouldn't you agree.

How about we apply the same logic to our lives. Are you plugged into your authentic spiritual self, your emotional needs, your physical needs, your relational demands, and are you plugged in to the person you were created to be. Possibly some of this you feel completely plugged in to but for some reason life still lacks meaning and purpose. I suppose I should qualify what I mean by plugged in. Just like the blow dryer, it has to have current for it to serve its purpose. Same with your life, without being plugged in you lack the current that will provide you the means to come ALIVE.

So often in life we seek the cool and comfortable so we do not have to change. Even though we are living far below our potential it is still better to ease through life than cause ripples in the water. However, my challenge is this, heck with the ripples, let's cause waves. Life is meant to be lived and all to often we sacrifice living simply to remain comfortable. There is an ole saying that says "when God wants you to grow he will make you uncomfortable". If you feel right now as though your life is either in a tailspin or at a dead end then God is screaming gently in your ear. Feel the heat, start to squirm, get uncomfortable, heck get plugged in.

I think many would agree that as the days, months, and years pass us by, we fall prey to the ruts of life. There is no one to blame for these valleys we find ourselves in, it is life. BUT, this is not the time to find comfort in the average, oh no. You were created for so much more. Just because you lost your job, you got a divorce, you got a diagnosis of cancer, you filed bankruptcy, or any number of life crisis. This is not the time to die, it is the time to thrive.

I, like many, have faced more obstacles than I can possibly share in this brief blog. Each one tossed and turned me in ways I thought I could never get out of. Yet for some strange reason, each one gave me renewed strength to live my life NOW and live it with meaning. Nothing, and I mean nothing will stop of us from reaching our potential unless we give power to it. We are limited only by ourselves. It is time to PLUG IN. Release the things that have weighed you down for years. Work on your self image. Claim your life right here right now. If you don't write your life story someone else gladly will. Take a step back for just a minute and realize that in some of the areas of life that you are unplugged from that you might be responsible. This isn't the time to blame, it is the time to claim. You can start where you are with what you have and get your life plugged in.

Now that you are plugged in, let's get dialed in. Let's fine tune this so you can live a life of passion and purpose. Living life at 211 is okay but it is still not your potential. When you reach 212 (boiling point) amazing things start to happen. Steam locomotives could not move at 211 but they could dang near move mountains at 212. One degree makes all the difference in the world. Same with you. Just a little more effort, a tad more commitment, a wee bit more faith,  and a whole lot more love for the person you see in the mirror. Get dialed in to yourself. Believe and I mean sincerely BELIEVE that you are God's greatest miracle. You are not here to simply meander through life. You are here for a purpose. It's time to claim it.

I realize me writing a blog doesn't cure or fix anything. My hope is, that it will get you to thinking about your life and the dreams that you once had. There is still time to give life to your imagination. Come ALIVE, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Let your reasons be stronger than your excuses. Feel the HEAT, I sure hope you do. I want you to be so uncomfortable that you have no choice but to get plugged in and dialed in. Life truly is amazing the moment you decide to LIVE IT.

I would love to hear from you. Please email me your thoughts or share your stories. My email is dalechildress@icloud.com

God bless
Dale Childress