Wishes alone won't work...

Wait, what? But you're a dreamer! Don't dreamers believe is making wishes?"
I am, but friend, those are not the same thing. At all.
You see, a dreamer is someone who sees possibility, who looks beyond what's right in front of them to what could be. A dreamer is one who doesn't feel limited by circumstances or past failures. A dreamer may hit a roadblock, but will then figure out a new way to ramp that sucker and fly over it. They are eager to learn how to accomplish their goals instead of being defeated by the hiccups. Well, that's my definition anyway. A dream chaser, which is the official title I've given myself, is even more aggressive in going after what they want. They know that their goals and their dreams, are their responsibility.

A wisher, well, a wisher is a little more passive. They may be hopeful, wishing things were different,  but don't do a whole lot about it. They say, " I wish I had a better job", but sit hopeless and empty in the same cubicle every day, never filling out applications elsewhere. A wisher doesn't tend to take much responsibility in their roll in their own dreams. They just simply wish things were different, but that's as far as it goes.

So how does one go from simply being a wisher to a dream, or better yet, dream chaser?

Well, first they have to know that whatever they are wishing for, has all the possibility of coming true. Not by luck or throwing a penny in a fountain or yes, even wishing on a star, but by a determination set in their heart to be the one to set the wheels in motion.


Want a better marriage? Learn about each other better. Actively love the other well. Their love language may not be yours, so figure it out and fill their cup in that way. Then, watch as your cup begins to fill.

Want to be a better parent? Love your kids. Hear their concerns & remember what it was like at that age where not getting to sit at one particular lunch table was soul crushing. Empathize. Spend one on one time with them. Don't give them their space. Fill it with reassurance that it will all be ok.

Want a better job? Get online, fill out the applications. Tweak your resume. Go back to school or even learn a new trade. Go after the opportunity, even if it's scary.

Want better fitting clothes? Put down the sugar. Get moving. Even if it's silly, like hula hooping, get your heart rate up & fuel your body with foods that will give you the energy to make it through the day. (or go buy they clothes you should really be fitting into instead of the size you want to be so you can be comfortable in the meantime)

Want better friendships? Be a better listener than you are a talker. Remind your friends of their value. Celebrate the great stuff in their lives, even the littlest of these things and comfort them during the hard stuff. Don't pull away. Press in.

Want a better Scentsy business? Show up. Learn something new every day. Make the calls. Send the emails. Make the samples. Set goals. Know where you are headed & make a path to get you there.

We could go on and on. Better car? Save the money. Bigger house? Work on your credit. Do you see where I'm going here?

"A dream is a wish your heart makes..." and "When you wish upon a star..." are both lyrics from two of my  most favorite songs, so don't get me wrong, I am not "anti-wisher."
Wishing isn't the enemy, complacency  is.
We should see a wish, that first glimmer of something our heart desires, as a seed to be planted.
Like any seed, it needs to be rooted in good soil, fed and watered, so it can grow. Not just thrown into a well. Wishes, when well taken care of, turn into dreams that become chaseable and dreams chased well, become your reality.

So today, I want to challenge you to look at what it is you're wishing for in life. What can you begin to do today to begin to tend to that seed and turn it into a chaseable dream? Write it down. Look at it every day. Make it happen.

It's not me...It's you.

I have a big imagination. Like really big. When you tell me a story or I read something, I am already painting this big, huge picture in my mind down to the very last detail. Colors, sounds, smells...everything. I'm putting myself there.

With that imagination also comes very vivid dreaming.
I dream every. single. night.
 Dreams I can remember when I wake up. All in color (which apparently isn't common?) All meticulously detailed. I even hear music and wake up singing it.

 I didn't realize that not everyone dreamt every night until talking to my husband and kids one day. They said they only dream every once in a while. "What?!" I exclaimed. I don't even know what it would be like to sleep and not have a dream. They can be hilarious, heartwarming, full of adventure, exhausting and even scary. Sometimes I really struggle with separating them with reality when I end up in that weird in-between wake and sleep state. (my poor husband)
Secretly, part of me would love to do a sleep study just to see what my brain waves look like on paper overnight.
The worst part of this over active imagination, combined with my overthinking most everything, is the trouble is causes me when I'm awake.


You see, this terrible combination makes me quite the over thinker. Not just an over thinker, but an over thinker who thinks of worst case scenario in most situations. Shocking, right? Because I'm a pretty optimistic person, but it's not because I'm afraid those things will actually happen, but because I walk through the "what would I do if..." so I'm not caught unprepared if something does happen (control issues much?).

 It also means that when my feelings are hurt, I don't hear from a friend for a few days, I think I receive a strange look from someone or Josh doesn't answer his phone, that I have already come up with 5 possible story lines. The who, what, when, where and why. Crazy right? It's like I write the scripts to problems that don't even exist in reality.

I caught myself doing this hardcore the last few days while I was struggling with some stuff. Some things I wrote about in the last few blogs, but some I didn't.  One particular situation was the most haunting. I say haunting because haunting defined means "to remain in the consciousness; not easily forgotten". It's all I thought about. It was even making it's way into my dreams.  Is it something I should handle? Maybe not. Do they even care? Of course they care! But what if they don't? What if they're over it/me? I bet they think this. I bet they're saying this. I should say this, but if I do, then they'll say this and then this will happen. All the what if's. I lost sleep, lost my temper, felt trapped inside my head and I think I legitimately caused myself an ulcer.

People. I'm should be certifiably crazy.
But here's the good news...I'm not. It's not me...It's him.

As I mentioned yesterday, we often don't give the enemy enough credit for the torment we go through whether self inflicted or not. I chewed on this specific topic for DAYS letting it slowly eat away at me and my self worth, until after I wrote that blog yesterday and then read it again, just like you did. It was then it hit me. It wasn't me...it was him.

My sweet Pastor's wife words echoed in my head. "Cast down imaginations." Wait! I CAN cast them down. Not only that, but if you continue reading that Scripture (2 Corinthians 10:5) it says, "And take CAPTIVE your thoughts. " I can not only tell those crazy thoughts to chill, but I can also take them captive! Yeah buddy! Oh what relief filled my soul.
Oh Satan...you're a jerk face. No more. My thoughts are mine. Not yours.
In that moment, I stopped and I prayed. I asked God to remind me that these thoughts weren't his and that anything set to tear me down wasn't anything of value or truth. To take those thoughts captive, give them to God and walk in obedience.

Imagination's can be a fantastic, beautiful thing, but they can also be damaging when out of control. I have spent days letting the enemy help me create all sorts of  junk that chipped away at my spirit, but them moment it clicked, I took back the control.  I became the Defeater again.
Sadly, that didn't mean the moments stopped flooding my brain, but what it did mean was that now I had the control over them and whether or not I'd let them flourish.  Now, the second one of these imaginations pops into my head, I say "nope". Literally. I do. :) I disregard them which takes the power they have over me away. The shorter their stay in my head, the smaller the impact they have. The longer I let them squat, they messier they make the place.

Today, I've seen a huge change. Those thoughts are still popping up, but I'm shutting them down just as fast. That situation they were about? Doesn't seem near as big anymore.  Why? Because 99% of it was made up anyway and I was the one making it up. The person involved has no clue I've spent days sick over it and they probably never will and that's okay. I have taken my thoughts captive. I'm the one in control

Dear friends, I need you to hear me on this. You could even consider this part 2 of yesterday's blog post. You don't have to let the enemy make you feel like trash. You don't have to let him whisper words of chaos, confusion, false imaginations into your ears. You don't have to let him  continue to tell you you're a failure, unloved, unworthy, dumb, ugly, fat...whatever it is for you.
Stand up for yourself. Ask God to show you when those moments are overtaking His plan for your life.
Let them devil know that it's not you, it's him...and he's got to go.

Even with all of that crazy, I would never wish away my imagination. 95% of the time, it's pretty fun and often useful, it's that tricky 5% that I've got to get in check.
 My only hope is to get a better hold on it. To know what imagined in this braing is simply the creative and slightly nutty person God has created me to be and not the lies the enemy wants me to believe.
I want the same for you.

8 years later

I realized as I sat down this morning to do some work, that a month from today, I will celebrate 8 years as a small business owner.
8 years is a long time for anything, but as a business owner, it's something to really be proud of, no matter what field you're in.
For me, it's Direct Sales. I am a consultant with Scentsy.
Now, now, don't scoff. :) There are a million and one direct sales companies out there and your experience or even true knowledge of them may be limited to just a few. You may know some rockstar consultants and you might know some who are terrible. Same goes for the products. Some are awesome and some, well, maybe not so much.
But I want to tell you about mine and why for myself and my family, it has been one of the best choices we could have ever made for our future.

When I joined  in February of 2009, I was struggling. More than just financially, I felt lonely. Even though my job as a stay at home mom was so valuable to our family, I felt like I was spinning in a monotonous routine that was suffocating. My days were filled with diaper changes, bottles, toddler fits and not much else. I had no close friendships and no interaction with anyone who could form complete sentences outside of church 3 times a week and my husband. It was hard.

When a friend at church hosted a basket party with a Scentsy consultant, I bought a bar of Pumpkin Roll wax, not even really understanding what I was supposed to do with it. I mean, there was no wick in it, but I wanted to support her party, even if $5 was all we could afford to spend.
Once my order arrived and I melted a cube in my trashy tea light melter (shh...don't tell!), I decided I wanted to host too so I could get a pretty warmer and get the full experience.
While hosting, the consultant asked if I'd ever thought about selling Scentsy. Um...no. They always ask, don't they? Internally I'm thinking, "You don't know who you're asking lady. I have no friends, go no where, am as shy and introvert as they come and I've failed miserable at 2 other direct sales companies. No. No. No. No."
But then I started to think more about it. I think truly is was the Spirit of the Lord whispering into my heart because we couldn't even afford the starter kit. Why on earth would I think about spending $99 when we were continuously over drafting our account? But the idea was sticking. This was a chance for me to feel like I was contributing to our family more than just as a babysitter and maid.  A chance to be more than just mommy and wife. A chance to be around grown ups!
After prayer and conversation with my husband about the 'what ifs', we swung for the fence and I joined Scentsy, putting that $99 on a credit card with the only expectation that I would at least work to pay it back and then the rest would be whatever it would be.
My how everything would change.

I'm not going to go over the last 8 years in detail with you. It would take so long to go over every moment that has been pivotal in who I've become today and how it's shaped our family and it's future. What I can tell you is there have been MANY, but I would like to highlight a few.

First, financially. We went from having nothing (and I mean nothing) in the way of any extra money to a place of financial comfort. Through this, we have not only been able to buy a new house, 2 new vehicles, pay off student loans and other debts and even start a 401K, but have also been able to contribute to our church, our community and those around us who need help. That's not to say anything great about ourselves, but something SO great about the God we serve. We have come from the people who needed help, to the people who can give help and my how that fills my cup. (and now by law, I have to share our silly little income disclosure statement, so here that is...  Scentsy Income Disclosure Statement )

Second, me. I have changed. While I am still at introvert at heart, I have grown from a person who felt worthless to someone who get's to show others their worth. From a follower desperate for interaction, to a leader who helps her team chase dreams. From lonely to a woman surrounded by people who lift her up, support her and cheer her on in business and in life. From shy to standing on a stage in front of 10,000 people to share my story. I've found my place. I've found who I am.

Third, my family. Our future looks so different now. My daughter's were being raised by a broken mommy and while I'm not totally mended, who they see now is much different than before. What I am showing them through this business is that anything is possible if you work hard enough for it. That living an arrows out life means looking to better the lives of the people around you and that it comes in many forms. That financially security doesn't have to mean working a 9-5 job. That there are other ways. My husband has a wife who is better because of what she does. Together, we run a family business. One that takes us to new places, allows us to meet new people and given us the ability to pay our blessings forwards. All things that would have been near impossible before.

All because I bought that $5 bar of Pumpkin Roll wax 8 years ago.
All because I didn't let past failures or the stigma of direct sales make my choices .
All because God whispered sweet hope into my heart when I clicked the join button and I was listening.
8 years later I am so thankful for that friend who hosted that basket party.
For the life we are creating for ourselves and for our family.
For the spirit of simplicity, authenticity and generosity this company teaches us in everything it does.
Has it always been easy? No. Has it been worth it? Every. Single. Second.

8 years later.
I can't even imagine what the next 8 years will hold.
Stay tuned.

*If you'd like to learn more about joining Scentsy or have questions, feel free to contact me. You can hear more about my story or what it takes to become a part of this amazing company by clicking here

Why the Pixie Dust?

In yesterday's post I shared with you the life verse that I plan on focusing on during this new year. Proverbs 31:25. That alone did a pretty good job of explaining the 'Proverbs' side of my blog name, but not so much the pixie dust.
You see, I love all things Disney. Legit. LOVE. And if you know anything about Disney is that pixie dust is one ingredient found in many of it's tales. Most notably as giving it's recipients the power to fly.
 It would be quite easy to think my love for Disney is the cartoon side of things. While I do adore Mickey and his friends, you won't come into my home and necessarily see big bright colors and animated characters filling the walls.
Instead, you'll see clever winks and nods hidden among the normal things. For instance, a small black silhouette of Jaq and Gus sneaking a key into a mouse hole hiding in our kitchen or a mangled fork sitting among some shells in a bowl. It's there, but you have to look for it.
What I love so much is the whimsy, the adventure, the imagination and the magic.
Most of all, I love what the whole Disney empire was born of. Walt, a seemingly ordinary man and his dream chasing heart.

Every one of us has dreams and if you're like me, you think of them often. Our dreams are all different. For some, it's grand adventure in the great wide somewhere (see what I did there) and for others, it may be building a family, getting that perfect job, buying the dream house or maybe even living a life free of debt. It could even be something different than any of these things, but we have them.
How often though, do we chase them? I mean full steam chase them instead of sitting around wishing and hoping? Very rarely, right? Because dream chasing is hard.

It's hard because it takes action and sometimes we don't know what that should look like.
It's hard because we're worried about what others will think about us and those dreams.
It's hard because what if we fail?

Walt Disney was a man made of dreams. Think any of these thoughts ever went through his mind? Of course...plus some. As he chased his own, he was repeatedly laughed at and not taken seriously. I mean, he was fired from one job for "lack of creativity". It's true. How demeaning it all must of felt.
There must have been moments where he felt straight up worthless and maybe even questioned what he was doing.
How many of us would have thought about quitting? How many of us just would have?
He probably thought about it...but he didn't. He continued, no matter the obstacles, in hot pursuit of his dreams.
He knew the value of his dreams were worth far beyond what the words or thoughts of others were. He knew his dreams were worth chasing no matter how many times he was told they were stupid.
He knew if he failed, he just needed to figure out another way to go at it.
He never gave up and look what he left behind.
An awe inspiring legacy.
Timeless memories made as families cuddle up on couches to watch a movie together.
Wonder filled eyes as one steps onto Main street of Magic Kingdom to see Cinderella's castle.
First words read in books of classic fairy tales reborn and new stories told teaching little ones they can be anything they want to be.
The reminder that our dreams can come true, if we only have the courage to pursue them.
That we be dream chasers too.

Dream chasing is a topic you'll hear me speak of often as I write. It's what I do daily through my business and help others do as I lead them in their own. To encourage them to fly instead of sitting idly and letting the world pass by.

So, yes, pixie dust. The ingredient that gives the ability to fly. The magic. The wonder. The imagination. The dream chasing.

Proverbs and Pixie Dust. Stepping boldly into 2017 with strength, dignity, laughing without fear of the future as we chase the dreams we've hidden in our hearts for too long.

After all...