“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Gil Bailie

Yesterday was my second son’s birthday, Daniel Jeremiah (DJ) turned 8! His entry into the world was significant and dramatic. He was born at 26 weeks gestation weighing in at 2 pounds. Although he was doing extremely well he didn’t end up well. Why? Because the NY hospital I ended up going to in an emergency (as I was a FL resident in NY to conduct a women’s retreat for CEFL) did a whole lot of mistakes. Throughout the year journey in the hospital following his birth, my faith crumbled to less than the size of a mustard seed. My husband and I handled the entire ordeal very differently and we almost became a statistic…getting very near a divorce. BUT GOD, intervened into our situation, saved my marriage (because we BOTH wanted him too) and I became alive probably for the first time.

I became alive after DJ’s 28 surgeries, near death experiences because I had the time to reflect on my life, what I believed, what was important and yes, what was not as important as people had made me believe. 

It was during this journey that I became more committed to helping women, to using my gifts and talents for the Kingdom. It was during this journey that I fell in love with me. The me I had become after tremendous pain and struggle.

I learned that what makes me come alive is not what people think of me…not what my titles say I am, not what my credentials speak to the world. No, what makes me come alive is my love for a God who I learned doesn’t always save you from situations and who loves me even when I am a major screw up (although you may never know just how much). My family makes me come alive, gosh I never understand the immense love I have for my husband and children. It’s an amazing, take your breath away kind of love and I totally love spending most of my time with my familia.

What also makes me come alive is what I attempt to do with the gifts and talents I’ve been given. Truth be told, there are times when I am really lazy and don’t want to do anything (also something that is very, very common in FL where people don’t want to do a thing!!) but there is this inner desire to speak into the hearts of women who feel life is over and they can’t possibly get back up again. That is such a lie from the pit of hell. I know when I am on the dark side, I know when I am in a pit, I also know the exhilirating feeling of watching how through God’s help a person can get back up again and REBOUND.

So today, I challenge those of you who are reading this…take the time to reflect on what makes you come alive. Don’t let others dictate to you what that is. If you started doing something and it is taking your life away as opposed to giving you life, stop! Redirect your efforts. Yes, people will talk. Yes, people will have opinions but like I tell my husband…no one lives our life. No one pays our mortgage or our bills. Thus, no one’s opinion counts. Do what makes you come alive. God alone knows our future and has empowered us with everything we need to make that come into fruition.

One last thing, sometimes we try things and they don’t come out the way we wanted. In the world’s eyes we may be a failure. But know this, failure is not final. Celebrate the fact that you attempted something while others could only sit on the sidelines and wait to see how it would all come out.  In my life, there were many that thought I would be barefoot and pregnant by 18 just because I started dating young. Those very people now look in amazement that this girl from the Lower East Side of Manhattan got a doctorate, only has TWO kids and started having them at 32. Don’t let anyone’s words over you be prophetic unless you know in your heart God spoke them to you first.

So go out there, come alive and live the life God ordained for you to live. Later for what others think.

Palante, Siempre Palante!