Author: katiemichellerockwell

Please understand that things on this list are just as much for me as they are for anyone reading this. No finger pointing here…

10 Things that need to stay in 2016:

1. Eating Excessive Amounts of Junk Food. Y’all…there is real food out there. And the real food is good. All the processed, sugary junk that we consume needs to stay back! Make some changes for the good little by little. Not to say that you can’t have a cheat meal every so often 😉
2. Complaining. Will some things not go your way? Yes. Will you want to complain about the things that you can’t change? Yes. Try your best to refrain. Complaining is draining.
3. Criticizing Others. One of my favorite quotes from Benjamin Franklin sums up a great deal. He said, “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.” It takes just as much energy to criticize someone as is does to find something positive to say about them. Let’s not be fools in 2017…leave that behind!
4. Being Quick to Speak. Take the time to really think about what you say. Words are powerful and they weigh a lot. Make your speech intentional. We don’t always have to be the first to jump in there with a comment. Listen to others, think about what you want to say, and proceed.You have the power to build someone up or break them down with your words.
5. Comparing Yourself. Whether it’s in person or through social media. Whether you think you’re better than most or without, let’s stop comparing ourselves to others. We are all unique individuals with different strengths and weaknesses. The person you’re comparing yourself to has insecurities just like you. Work on yourself and stay in your lane!
6. Wasting Time. AKA…procrastinating, fiddling about, lollygagging, taking one’s own sweet time. Time is passing by so fast. Let’s stop putting things off for another day. The Bible tells us that no one is promised a tomorrow. So wasting time is just not an option anymore. Make moments count.
7. Negative Thinking. It’s time to believe in yourself and have confidence in your abilities! Staying positive and getting rid of negative thoughts/attitudes can change your life for the better. I challenge you like I’m challenging myself.
8. Being Okay With The Way Things Have Always Been. Change is good. Repeat after me…Change is good! Culture changes, society changes, technology changes, trends change, and people change! Stop being a stick in the mud and open your eyes to new possibilities!
9. Overspending. Yes, let’s be mature about this. We are never too young to learn about managing our money. If you don’t have enough to buy it, save up for it. If you owe money to anyone (including companies) pay them off. Spending more than you make will keep you in a vicious cycle of craziness.
10. Not Taking Time For Yourself. If you need a day, take a day. If you can’t take a day, take a moment. Work hard, be faithful where you are and make time to take a break for yourself. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for taking care of yourself or taking time out to do things you want to do.

2016 meant different things to us all and one thing I can be sure of is that I am not taking old baggage with me in to 2017. I hope you join me. There is no room for it! I see new rivers and new roads ahead. Excitement brews and I am ready for more!

Wishing you a fantastic 2017! Happy New Year to you and yours!

All the best: K

Ten years ago this week my dad passed away from cancer. These years flew by to say the least. Thanksgiving was his favorite time of year…. I have learned so much from the entire process of having a parent die. The first years were honestly a blur for me. Watching my mom deal with some of the things that were now the new normal was/is tough. Basically trying to rebuild our lives as best as possible.  As the years kept coming, I became more and more at peace with the entire situation. That part was certainly not easy. And now approaching the ten year mark without my dad here on earth, these are the things that are on my mind tonight:

• I can’t believe how many people I have met in these 10 years (older, younger, and my age) that I saw go through the same thing. I never knew it could be so common to lose a parent. I have not only been able to share my experience with those people – laugh, cry, grieve, get mad – but I have been able to help guide them and relate and speak words into their lives that hopefully brought some comfort.
• The memories of this week ten years ago haven’t gone away, and I hope they never do. I remember the hospice vehicle backing in to our drive way. I remember the really nice employees of that hospice that were so respectful of my dad. I remember not understanding that he was really going to die. I remember all the wonderful people that were there me and my family. I remember coming home hours after he passed and I fell asleep on the living room floor. So many memories from this week…and it feels like it all happened yesterday.
• My dad would have loved to see how good the Cowboys are this year…and would have stayed loyal to awful Browns…he loved Cleveland football.
• And he would have loved, loved, loved to meet his grandson, Andrew.
• Lastly, I am all the more urged to live a life he would be proud of. To be approachable and transparent with people so they see God through me, which in turn leads them to Him. That’s my mission.

I’ll never not think about his passing and how our family has changed. I’ll always remember the good times more than the bad. I can’t encourage people reading this enough to love, cherish, and appreciate the people in your lives right now because no one is promised a tomorrow in this short life on earth.

All the best…K.

Earlier this year in the spring my mom and I took a mini road trip up to a small town in Texas to see the “Texas Tulips.” Fields were full of families taking pictures and couples kissing for the camera and people picking flowers for their perfect tulip bouquet.

We walked up and down the flower aisles and I was seeing colors I had no idea even existed. Beautiful shades of oranges, purples, yellows, whites, and reds. Sweet smells from the flowers made the experience so much fun just to get away and do something out of the norm.

I took my time observing the different shapes and colors of the flowers and I just could not help but thank God for what He created. That someone could plant a small brown bulb in the fertile soil, water it, and in a few months’ time a green sprout comes peeking out of the ground that grows tall into a colorful bloom. A totally incredible process. And as I was in awe of that process looking at all the flowers, I spotted 1 bright pink tulip in a row of yellow tulips all by itself. My first thought was “that flower doesn’t belong there.” “It’s different.” And at that moment I realized that I feel like that tulip at many times in my life.

Just writing honestly, it’s very easy to get discouraged sometimes because some of the answers to my prayers are taking way longer than I could ever imagine…. My life doesn’t “look” like other people my age and it can be hard to fit in, like that flower. Actually, I have never fit the cookie cutter mold – graduate high school, go to college, get married, buy a house, have a baby…in that order. And please do not think I am knocking that because I absolutely want those things. And I believe wholeheartedly that I will have the desires of my heart because I trust God too much to give up!

I have to remind myself that it’s OK for things to be different and stand out from the rest. To look different than my peers. To stand out in the crowd and not fit the cookie cutter mold. And when I do find myself in a funk or getting discouraged I think back to that flower. It was beautiful right where it was at. It didn’t matter that it looked different from every single flower surrounding it. It grew anyways. It stood tall anyways. It was shining bright anyways.

I encourage you to do the same. If you get discouraged because you don’t “fit in” or that your life seems different than everyone around you at the moment, shine anyways! Be Bold. Be Beautiful. Be You. God has a plan and a purpose for YOUR life and it is greater than you can comprehend. Thank God for making you the way He has and be thankful for all the wonderful blessings in your life!

All the best – K.

My church (don’t stop reading just because I mentioned church right off the bat please) just finished an awesome learning series called Love Your Neighbor. Yes, it sounds like the typical “do good to others” type message we hope to hear at church… but it was so much more and I wanted to express how much this message of Love Your Neighbor drives me on a day to day basis. Love God, love people, and love one another. This is how I aim to live every day. It may seem like a lot to process and it certainly can’t be done with a selfish attitude but I have found that it is just as easy to love God and love people as it is to hate and criticize others. Doing good to/for others without expecting anything in return takes guts. It takes patience. It may even sound crazy – but it works. Because when we do for others, it opens doors for conversation, questions, curiosity about “the why.” Why did you do that for me? Why do you care about me? Why did you take time to encourage me? Why would you make that sacrifice for me? These types of questions help me point people to Jesus, which is my mission every day.

More than ever, people need kindness and something good to happen in their lives. This culture and this generation can have a very dim outlook most of the time. It is very easy to sit back and judge or criticize as we watch people struggle every day, blaming them for the situation they have created for themselves. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to me how they got in that situation, it matters to me how I can help them and open their eyes to something good.

I would wager that we (society) know that we should love our neighbors (people that are around us at any given time), and that we should do good and positive things for our neighbors not expecting anything in return…but it bothers me to see it done so little. And for a long time, the “church” has been the biggest offender of this rule.

My prayer is that my generation and the ones that come up after me will understand the value of love God, love people, love one another more than ever before. That may be far-fetched by the naked eye…but I am making it my mission to show others it can be done…and throw out all the excuses of why it can’t be done.

Love God::Love People::Love Others

All the best…K.

For the “Love Your Neighbor” message from Revive Church follow the link below.

http://www.reviveyourworld.com/media.php?pageID=5&itemID=28&

http://www.reviveyourworld.com

I got the chance to go see the movie Gleason not too long ago. The film is about a former football player who gets diagnosed with ALS (Physicist Stephen Hawking also has this, what is referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease). The diagnosis comes just before his son is born so he records videos to document his life for his son to watch.

First of all, this movie was terrific. I knew my heart strings would be pulled but I had no idea I would walk away from the movie and still think about this family days later.  Steve Gleason and his wife are so likeable and the direction of the movie was incredible. Secondly, I could not shake the idea of PERSEVERANCE after I watched the movie.

Yes, the movie was raw and gives viewers a great insight on what ALS can do to a person and how it effects their entire life. But throughout the movie he never stops fighting to live his life. There were times when he could have given up, and it would have most certainly been the easier route for him. He goes through ups and downs with his spiritual faith – anyone who has ever been seriously ill or known someone who has can relate to that.  The Gleason’s marriage is tested beyond more than a couple should have to be tested, yet his determination to preserve remained the same. He was resolved that ALS was not going to stop him. I won’t spoil the movie with too many details but by the end I was really glad I saw it.

Days after I watched Gleason the idea of perseverance dominated my thinking. Perseverance gives us a long term perspective. This life is not going to be perfect. I believe that God has started a good work in me and there will be times I have to weather the storms of life; but I know the outcome is good – and if I can persevere, stay determined, finish strong – I will see that good work finished.

Perseverance may not be something that you think about often. I definitely think about it now than I ever have before. I want to encourage you to not let things in life stop you from achieving your goals and seeing your dreams come to pass. One of my favorite quotes (hanging up in my office) is from Rick Warren. He said “Never stop learning, Never compare yourself, and Never give up.” This is what perseverance looks like to me.

So, when I want to give up, when I want to quit – I will remind myself of Gleason and perseverance, and I will not let anything stop me from living the life I want to live.

All the best…K.

https://gleasonmovie.com/

P.S. the movie has some mature content in it so I do not recommend it for younger viewers. 😉

Call me crazy but I try to give people the benefit of the doubt when it comes with to the idea of good intentions and helping others. I tend to believe that people in general set out to do good to others, to make a difference in someone else’s life, to leave a mark. I hope to think that there is a time in everyone’s life where we realize that we are not here on this plant just for ourselves but that we are a part of a giant big picture and what we do and how we treat people echoes throughout eternity. And I think a lot of people start out with great intentions…. but get overwhelmed in trying to make a difference in whatever the case may be. So more times than not… and it’s a big trend lately, people just do nothing. They would rather not get involved in someone else’s life to help them because it is just becomes too much. They don’t know what to do or say so they do and say nothing.That feeling comes when we think we have to do it all right now and it has to be life changing right now and it has to be something big right now. But that is just not the case.

Instead of feeling like you have to do it all right now, DO WHAT YOU CAN – WHERE YOU ARE – WITH WHAT YOU HAVE (Teddy Roosevelt). No one is asking you to do it all and to change the entire world – but you can change your world! You can do something wherever you are. In line at the coffee house drive thru? Pay for the order behind you. See someone struggling at the grocery store in the hot hot hot Texas heat? Take a moment of your time and offer to help. Know of a family struggling to buy school supplies for their kids? Be generous and take care of the items you can. Is someone in your family going through a difficult time? Call them and be the encouragement they need. See, you never know what action or word may give someone that extra boost to make it. You could be the encouragement they needed. You could be the light at the end of the tunnel that they are looking for. I am so grateful for the times that people stepped in to help me. The least I can do is help others in the same way. So go ahead and do that good thing you have been wanting to do! You can make a difference and leave a lasting impact!

All the best…K

I’m prepping for our next Ladies Night event at church and the topic of the evening is DECISION MAKING. So, this subject has pressing on me lately and I have really started to take every decision I make more seriously. Take some time and just think about how many decisions you have to make in one day! From the very moment we wake up we are faced with decisions that have to be made. Of course, some decisions are small and mean more than what outfit you wear or what you are going to eat for lunch…because the more significant decisions usually have an effect on other people in our lives. This is why it is so important to make wise decisions and really weigh the outcome before we decide on something.

Taking the time to consider the possibilities, potential consequences, and past experiences when making a decision sets you up to make a good one. As a young teenager I can remember my youth minister telling me that so many outcomes in my life would depend on the decisions I made. I could decide who to be friends with, to study or not, to put God first in my life…I was the one who had to make the decision. He was right – it’s all about choices and making the right decisions.

Being a leader means making tough decisions from time to time too. And I know that if I let my decision making be molded by what is popular or by the current cultural values and not by what I know to be true, I set myself up for failure. God’s Word is my guide and final authority. I lean on Him when I am unsure or need help making sense of a situation. There is no decision too hard for Him. Keeping this in mind – I mess up less and less.

I want to encourage you today that if you’re up to the plate and you see a big decision coming your way- don’t back down and avoid it. Take responsibility of the moment, weigh your options, consideration everyone that will be effected, and be confident, and seek wisdom God!

Wishing you all the best in your decision making! K

I love it when people ask me what I do for a living because it gives me a perfect opportunity to tell them about my church and that I have my dream job (I’m the Operations Director at Revive Church). And almost instantly after I tell them what I do, their reaction is usually something like…”so, do you guys basically sit around and hang out all day?” Or “You have it easy – working in ministry can’t be that much to deal with…” then I laugh a little bit and explain that working at a church, being in the people business, and running a ministry is so much more than “sitting around and hanging out all day.”

This particular week at our church we have a BIG event at the end of the week. We are expecting the most people we ever have before and in prepping for the event, I can feel the stress levels start to rise on the inside. Bigger projects mean more decisions to be made, getting more people involved, more money spent, more time given, less sleep, etc…so yes, stress can start to build up – if I let it.

Somethings I have learned over the years working with people and big ministry projects is that I can’t let stress dictate my attitude or the outcome of the project. Being under pressure doesn’t mean I have to crumble! Here are some things I keep in mind when stressful situations arise:

• Keep my focus on positive things. I take the word “can’t” out of my thinking, talk, and actions –  and I remember what I can do.
• Address problems as they come in order of priority. When there is an issue, I choose to look at it as a “challenge” instead of something that seems hopeless. I work through the challenge with the resources I have and if things don’t work out the way I planned, I adapt.
• Take care of myself. I haven’t always done this…and I can definitely tell a difference when I don’t. Regular exercise and eating healthy foods make me feel better in every area and I am more equipped to deal with stressful situations. Find an outlet to let that stress go!
• Remember challenging situations that have turned out successful in my past and repeat steps as needed. This is a big one for me. If something has worked in the past, I try to keep it up and make small changes here and there.
• Ask for help… Eeek! Yes, shout out to all the control freaks out there! Delegate and ask for help! It’s not easy sometimes but it can save you time and energy.

There is no doubt about it, we will all have stressful times in life. And just because stressful situations smack us in the face does not mean we have to let it get the best of us. Realize that you are human and mistakes happen. When things aren’t going the way you want them to, readjust and change what you can. And lastly, understand that you cannot control other people.

Don’t stress y’all!

All the best…K

I heard a radio interview a few days ago with legendary drummer Carl Palmer. I listed to him candidly talk about all the different shows he’s played and how he got started playing and it was really entertaining. One of the things that really caught my attention is that he said that even at the age 66 almost 67 – HE STILL MAKES TIME TO PRACTICE! He’s been playing drums since he was 10 years old and yet he still makes it a point to practice this awesome skill.

My brothers are both incredible musicians and I have learned by watching them that no matter what stage or skill level they have, they still make practice a priority. It’s an absolute must. So, why would they do that? Because they are determined to be better in their skill.

This mindset has been on my heart more and more, especially as I get older. I’ve made a decision and I am determined to get better in several areas of my life. Whether it’s better at a specific skill or better in my leadership roles or a better sister, daughter, aunt, niece, and friend. And I know that is going to take PRACTICE on my part! And I think that can look differently at each stage. It may be that I pray for for family more than I have before. It may mean that immerse myself with leadership podcasts and materials that I can apply to my job – but no matter what – my mindset is that I will make it a point to practice at being better in every area that I can. Yes, it takes work on my part and it may not be the most convenient thing to do but I know it’s something that I want so I will make it a priority.

I just want to encourage any readers that you do not have to be satisfied with the way things are if you’re unhappy. I’ve wasted too much time being stagnant for sure. You can get that job, you can get that promotion, you can pull ahead, you can perfect your skill, you can be the very best that you can be in every area of your life!

All the best…K.

This past week has been one for the history books for sure. 2 young men were killed by police officers in different cities which sparked protests (peaceful and not) all over the United States. It hit close to home because the peaceful protest in Dallas, TX – minutes away from my city – will never be forgotten. Sniper targeted uniformed police officers killing 5 and wounding many others. There is still so much unrest.

What I am most encouraged about is the love and support for each other I have seen across communities. I watched a prayer gathering on my cellphone the day after the sniper attack as leaders from all different backgrounds, colors, and religions came together to pray. The prayer gathering was packed with people from all over the Dallas area praying too. I couldn’t be at every church today, although I wish I was able to – but at my church, we could feel the love. We were able to come together as a diverse group of people with one goal in mind, loving others. I was encouraged as we prayed for injustices in this country all over. I was encouraged as we prayed for our cities and their leaders. I was encouraged when we took a moment to remember the victims of all these tragedies and lifted up their families in prayer.

So, what a week for sure. But I am encouraged and I hope to give you a little bit of encouragement too. Yes, there is unrest still. And there may be for some time to come, but I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. I see people changing the way they think, act, and respond to each other and show love and kindness to those around them. And it starts with each individual person.

Share some love today. Step out of your comfortable comfort zone and make a connection with someone you never would. Make a difference in the life of someone who could really use a break. Because if you don’t do it, who will?

All the best…K