Rise Above!

Submitted by Merry Bruton 

Ever had one of those days, weeks, or even seasons where nothing seems to go your way? In fact, opposition from every angle threatens to strangle the life out of everything you try to accomplish.

Extended periods of troubles seems to provoke not just weariness, but a hopelessness if we do not quickly see welcome light at the end of a tunnel of despair.

Financial lack, relationship squabbles, persistent health battles--all take their toll on our peace. Add to that all the persistent pesky problems that plague us, like sitting in standstill traffic, technology bugs, feeling the pressure of too many tasks to accomplish. Not to mention the long-term fears that often wake us up in a middle-of-the-night-panic about our future.

You are not alone!

We all experience difficulties that seem like obstacles to our happiness, but the truth is, without these trials, we do not tend to grow in strength or character. We NEED challenges to grow, but rarely would we ever choose the process because of the pain involved in the stretching.

A leader of mine says that worry is meditation on the wrong things. Truth!

When we find ourselves in a discouragement funk, we really need to be able to rise above the problems, to try to glimpse the bigger picture of what is happening and where we are headed.

Sometimes those flying dreams we experience accomplish this if we realize what is happening. When we see from a higher viewpoint--the Divine Perspective--then we find the peace to proceed with confidence, trusting for a productive outcome.

Survival tips:

• Welcome the trials. In doing so, you are saying you are ready for expansion! You set the course for overcoming with a winning attitude.

• Don't panic, freeze, avoid, ignore, or resist. Buckle down and engage--tackle the problems head-on, as quickly as possible, thus avoiding unnecessarily extended discomfort.

• Take it as a compliment that you are chosen at this time for this struggle. It means you are able to handle it. If you were not making a difference in the world, you probably would not be facing the opposition that is coming against you.

• Accept that there is purpose in what you are experiencing.  As you walk in victory, you step further into your destiny. In those areas where you overcome, you have greater ability to help others succeed as well. You gain authority and become the 'expert' that can help others navigate similar struggles.

• Don't try to escape. The only way out of a situation is usually through it. If you try to skirt around it, you may find yourself in a similar position in the near future because you need to learn a lesson that is invaluable for your success. Put a spring in your step and lock horns with the opposition until you win!

• Stop whining. The more you complain, the more you hear yourself spread negativity and make the situation even worse. A humorous outlook and a grateful heart keep the gloomies in check.

We live in a bad news world. Many folks live on the very edge of miserable. Everyone has struggles, and isn't it refreshing to experience smiles and quiet trust from someone in the midst of a storm?

Everyone needs encouragement. We can rise above and help others along the way even when we lack clarity for our own situation. Be the light in those dark places, even when you feel temporarily dimmed.

For me, knowing who I am and what my purpose in life is, gives me the hope I need to persist and not give up. I know I am going somewhere, that I have great things yet to accomplish, and that I need to learn skills and strategies along the way to get to where I am going.

What more could we ask than for challenges to propel us into our destiny?  If we cooperate, joy manifests in our Dream Journey and we are made whole in the process. 

OK, world, BRING IT ON!!

No Business as Usual

No Business as Usual

Submitted by Merry Bruton 

Holiday time is wrapping up, a season which usually demands a shift from 'normal' to accelerated activity, both in schedule and bank account. I don't know about you, but I have had way too many items on my task list, many of which never got done, either because of limited time, energy, money, or sincere motivation on my part.

Or maybe all that stuff wasn't necessary in the first place.

I have felt like I was behind on everything! Christmas is barely past, 2013 not quite here yet, and I spotted Valentine and Easter displays in the stores already. Am I really behind, or is something in our culture a little amiss?

Holidays dawn upon us, along with their delights and demands. But hopefully a chance to fully engage at the most positive and joyful level possible.

Families grow, circumstances change, finances tighten, and we find ourselves having to examine priorities and forcing adjustments to our traditions and attitudes.

Sometimes painful, this shift can also become blissfully liberating. We get to ask, "WHY are we doing this, and is it serving us well?" If not, we can let it go and make room for something much better.

I think many of us fear not meeting perceived expectations and disappointing those around us. Can we possibly bake enough, keep a sparkling, twinkling home, and shine brilliantly for all those parties? What will people think and say, if we don't keep up?

Some of our friends expect us to perform and give, and we hate to disappoint. How much pressure, though, comes from within, from not meeting our OWN expectations, that are based on, WHAT?

Let's agree to a healthy change this coming year.  Take a breath, and instead of running on autopilot, let's evaluate our current priorities, make wise choices, and kick the guilt to the curb.

A reboot of perspective rattles the routine but produces restful, refreshing resolve in the process.

It is time to get grounded. We need to seize the realization of Who we are and What we are created to do--so that we can focus, prioritize, and use our time and resources to launch squarely into our destiny, not looking to the left or the right, not letting culture or anyone else dictate to us who we are 'supposed' to be.

We must say 'no' to the non-essentials and non-helpfuls that keep us off-center.

2013 is the year to step fully into our destiny as world-changers and light-bringers. May you live your dreams this year and courageously shine out loud in a world that pressures us to conform to…'normal'.

#CommunicationFail By #InsiderLingo

Submitted by Merry Bruton 

I recently spent many hours navigating through a hosting change for my website. It was something that could probably have been quickly accomplished, but language got in the way. Repeated tickets and indistinguishable responses punctuated my peace throughout the day. For every response I received from customer service, I had to ask for a translation.

No, it wasn't because the 'experts' work in another country and don't speak English. It was because they spoke highly polished technical jargon that might as well have been modern Greek, from my perspective. All day I felt confused and ignorant because I did not understand phrases like, "cpanel login details of cloud server 293.333.9476.998…" or "update your domain name with name servers to point them to (X) server at your domain registrars end"...to name but a couple of the instructions I received.

Many of you IT friends might understand these words, because you have studied and work with the concepts and are familiar with them.

I'm not a total ignoramus!  But as the day wore on, I struggled with sinking frustration that comes with searching, deciphering, and repeatedly asking for help. I felt belittled. A couple of times I responded, "Please treat me like I am a first-grader and keep your instructions clear and simple so I can understand what you are asking."

Task accomplished! But not without some pain. I now know a few more words that sound more like codes.

My customer service conversation exasperation is not uncommon to most of us.  But how often are we the 'perpetrators' of treating people thusly?

Every one of us may be guilty of not assessing our 'audience' or conversation partners' ability to understand before we launch into words and concepts well over their comprehension level.

It does not communicate love, compassion, or desire to help when to make others strain and work to understand what we say.

Effective communication better occurs when we make the effort to get out of our own little world and consider others' history, worldview, abilities, and language--and speak to them accordingly.

Often, this means dropping our specialized Insider-lingo. Outsiders don't understand it. And we make them feel more like an Outsider when we use it.

Adjusting our approach is the considerate thing to do, whether our 'business' is web, banking, sales, ministry, teaching, dream interpretation, parenting, or anything else.

If we make that effort (which requires listening to them a little bit, paying attention to THEM), the other person won't end up feeling stupid because we acted arrogant and condescending toward them.

It is a dream of mine to be an excellent communicator, surpassing mere verbiage and addressing peoples' hearts as well as their task needs. I consider it a rewarding challenge, to study people, build a relationship bridge, and successfully connect so that everyone feels honored.

I'm curious--

In what settings do you often find yourself feeling like an Outsider because you do not understand the lingo being spoken?  

In what settings might you be guilty of using Insider lingo in a way that is confusing to others? What steps can you do to make a change toward more effective communication?  

Which Way is the RIGHT Way? (Pondering life in a gym)

Which Way is the RIGHT Way?

Submitted by Merry Bruton

I went to do my daily power walk in a gym yesterday, thus avoiding 107 degree temps outside. Since I was new to the gym, I found my way to the track and carefully read the sign that said, "Walk to the right on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Walk to the left on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday."

No one else was there when I started walking to the right, clockwise. But others shortly arrived and began walking and running--in the OTHER direction. I stayed to the inside, where the 'slower' walkers were supposed to hike, and I had to half-jog to dodge around people heading toward me. And they were all giving me dirty looks and refusing to budge to let me go by. Round after round.  

I got confused. I went back to the sign to see if I mis-read the instructions. I looked at my watch to make sure it was indeed Wednesday. I double-checked my brain to see if 'right' meant clockwise.

I felt stupid. I knew I was 'right'. But what to do? I thought of several options:

• Turn around and go with the flow

• Keep going and hope they think and get the message

• Stand by the sign and point to it as everyone walked by

• Ask someone for help or explanation

• Stop everyone and tell them they are going the wrong way

• Give up and go home

I should note that this kind of situation is not a big deal for me--which way to walk around a track. I hope I am way more flexible than getting bent out of shape about such a tiny issue. I found myself giggling as I thought about this weird situation, and how it pictured dilemmas we face in life.

I ask myself, "If this were a dream, what would it mean?" It mirrored how I often feel when I follow what I feel I am called to do in life....perhaps you do as well...

• "I feel like a fish swimming upstream."

• "I have the right direction for my life. Why does there seem to be so much opposition? Why do things have to be so HARD?"

• "I'm trying to follow the 'rules', but doing so is not WORKING. Others didn't read the same rule book of life."

I finished up my workout, (going in my original direction and smiling in response to every disparaging eye roll) and went to the front desk and asked what the protocol should be in this situation.

Her response: "Everyone doesn't follow the guidelines. But if you don't want to get jostled or sneered at, reverse your direction and just go with the crowd."

I can do that on an exercise track. I could choose to get angry, drop hints, point out others' wrong choices, or boycott the gym.  

But in certain things I know I am called to, character and destiny-wise, let's face it: I will have to go against 'normal' and have to deal with opposition along the way.

But may I not be the one blocking others or judging them as they take a different direction. 

Victory Can Be Pre-Ordered

Victory Can Be Pre-Ordered

Submitted by Merry Bruton 

As I clicked through my emails yesterday, I saw an ad for a video game that made me laugh out loud: "Victory can be pre-ordered". Clever! Purchase this game and you automatically become a Winner. The message implies that you can't lose. If you plan ahead, invest in this game, you secure the deal. Sign up early for your name to top the battle charts.

Is it possible that real life could work like that? What if we could face life with the guarantee that we WIN, no matter what?

We all have our major life struggles. Will I get this job? How will I be able pay my bills? Will I survive this disease? Will my marriage survive? Will my children grow up safe and happy? Do I have to work at this job that I hate…forever? How can I continue to live with my fears, my regrets, my pain, my stress, the consequences of my bad decisions? What is my purpose in life? What if I am missing it?

Real life is not like a video game, though there are metaphorical similarities. There is more at stake, certainly. It seems as though a battle is always upon us, if not even a war.

As we survive each round, we strive to keep going, and with each victory, we gain more tools in our tool belt to survive the next siege. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Just when we think defeat is near, we find the strength to get up and keep going. But just around the corner is another enemy plot in place to take us out in the next round.

In life, the pain and exhaustion are real. We have to take time to grieve and heal and gather ourselves to face the next onslaught. One step at a time, one day at a time, one challenge at a time. Sometimes we have to agonize through each one-hour increment in order to survive.

Restarting is certainly not as easy as pressing a button on a video game.  Depending on our perspective, every day can begin with a fresh start,  with us functioning at a higher level than before.

It is our perspective that makes all the difference. The Operating Systems, the "terms and conditions" that we agree to in life--our attitudes, our beliefs, our faith, our God, the people and support systems we choose--all of these dictate the degree of victory or defeat that we will experience through our trials.

I actually do believe that Victory in life can be pre-ordered, that we can find strength and an overcomer attitude that comes from a Source beyond ourselves. If we know that we ultimately win the war, we find the strength to keep fighting each battle to get there.  

Keep engaging and never quit. Even in pain and difficulties, life can become a joy-filled adventure as we learn to take the hits in stride and still respond with gratitude and faith that we can often hit the 'pause' button, take a deep breath, experience supernatural peace, and launch deeper into Ultimate Triumph.   

Old and New Tell-A-Vision

Submitted by Merry Bruton 

Several weeks ago, our old TV bit the dust.  Such a thing would usually not a big deal, but we're talking about our ONLY family TV, a 1974 Magnavox console. We bought it used when our son was a baby, 26 years ago, and we've never had a lick of trouble with it. They don't make things to last like they used to. Anyway, it finally literally went up in smoke.

Our family got a little wistful about this old TV. Our son even (half)-jokingly called it a 'sibling', as he and my husband hauled it out to the recycle center.

I was secretly relieved when it died with dignity, because I couldn't read titles on it anymore, and it had been a long time since we had seen the color red. I was ready for an upgrade.

We got that upgrade! And I cannot stop staring at the beautiful, high-definition color set that now sits in the place of its predecessor. We can turn it on and off without having to get up and walk across the room, and we can mute the commercials, too.

Wow, what took us so long to step into the 21st century?

Frugally speaking, we had decided to wait until the old TV passed before we invested in a new one. The passage seemed to take forever. We were teased mercilessly for our old-style TV.

Note my subtle segue into dream interpretation…TV's often represent 'vision' being revealed, revelation that is shown via 'tell-a-vision'. Sometimes in dreams, TV's give insight for what is ahead or for how to handle a situation, as in training videos.

I believe that  we often need an 'upgrade' in our vision of life.  People may complain about our 'stuckness' and indeed, we may stay in a rut of seeing the world from an old perspective.

And many times, the dream-giver may be offering amazing disclosure, but we may find ourselves holding too tightly to the past or the present to let go and receive new insight for adventures ahead.

Recently I had a TV dream (before the 'death'), where I was reminded of wonderful days gone by, where I was actively using some of my creative gifts and abilities, but I had laid them aside a while back. I sensed the dream telling me it was time to pick them back up again and incorporate them back into my life.

A new joy entered my heart as I pondered the possibilities of enjoying a fresh vision from Creator, who knows me and wants the best for me. Today I am so grateful for that upgrade in mission, now daily reminding me in a fresh way via our new Big Screen Color Television. I cannot stop admiring what lies before me.

But sometimes the old vision has to die before we can take hold of the new.  Sometimes we get to choose the timing, and other times we have to wait.  

Just when we may think things in our life are going up in smoke, at just the right time, we are reminded of the Marvelous and Mysterious ahead.  And I am grateful for the role that dreams can play in refreshing and renewing our lives, if we are paying attention and are willing to risk stepping into something new.  

And I love it when dreams and real life--the spiritual, the symbolic, and the literal events coincide as confirmation that we are on the right track.  

Boot Scootin' and Dream Walkin'

Submitted by Merry Bruton

I live in West Texas with bunches of 'normal' people--and cowboys. It is not unusual to go somewhere and hear the familiar 'thud/clink thud/clink thud/clink' produced by someone walking by wearing boots with spurs. I grew up in a big city, and when I moved to small-town Texas, let's say I experienced culture shock that lasted for several years. Surprise, snickers, and scornful thoughts often crossed my heart path before I adjusted to Texas.

We all have to adapt to the culture around us in order to become effective members of our community. I rebelled for awhile, but now, I love Texas, and I own three pairs of cowboy boots. (No spurs, though).

My thoughtful husband bought me my first pair of boots for my 50th birthday last year. He took a risk and said he wanted something to match my personality and something to complement my destiny--colorful and outrageous! Surprisingly, the boots were a hit (pictured).

I view my boots and my small boot 'collection' as a prophetic picture of transformation--from a shy, 'don't-make-waves' kind of girl to a much bolder, kick-butt, dream-interpreting minister/pioneer. I know I am called to go into dark, discouraging spaces to bring light and encouragement.

Boots are 'equipment' for protection, peace-bringing, and STYLE. A tangible reminder of who I am, where I live, and how I am to live. I want to be instrumental in stomping out evil negativity wherever I go, with supernatural power and creative flair, inspiring others to walk a similar path. My boots have taken me through some fun adventures.

A friend told me about a dream she had recently--as she is starting a new outreach with prisoners. She was given a new, fancy outfit, and some beautiful, shining, golden boots. They radiated light.  Because of her dream, she felt loved, excited, and ready to launch.  

Now that's what I'm talking about….boot scootin' two-steppin' destiny! Yeehaw!

I reckon the time is NOW that we all should, in our own style--Boot up and Boot out!