Day 4: Power Surge - Connecting With The Ultimate Source

One Month To Live Transformational Journey

Life Lesson (from journal): "We have to be connected to a power source beyond ourselves--a power source that never wavers, flickers, or leaves us in the dark. We have to move from willpower to the real power that comes from a connection to our Creator."

Chris Shook opens today's lesson talking about how dependent we are on power. If there is ever a flicker of light we are looking frantically for flashlights, candles or anything to give us a source of light. She also speaks about how important it is for us to have "Power" literally to do what we do each day, especially when it comes to making changes in our lives. However, we often try to make the changes with our own willpower and not with a dependence on God's power.

My Answer: I could really relate to this on Day 4, because I am a very independent person who will work hard as nails for what I want and hope for. I sometimes lose focus on the spiritual aspect that consumes me and that's when things seems to push me back to get into a perspective of how I reached a certain point in the first place. From the journal and the scripture they recommend, I understand how important it is to trust in God for guidance and also when I am just not 100%. Sometimes I get confused, frightened, exhausted, and even frustrated, but those are the times when I need to really consult God and get his perspective.

In the journal, they give two ways one can really stay connected to God everyday. To my surprise, it really isn't overly religious or anything, but really taking the time to have constant communication and constant confession. In the journal, it instructs that this can happen anywhere at anytime to yourself, or while you're driving, or you can relate this to how often you speak to your best friend or husband, children. You care for them so you're always talking to them about what's going on with you and that's what they are referring to.

I do tend to use constant communication when I'm on my way to an audition because I really need to get myself centered and ready. I know that when I do get an audition that it is totally meant to be and I need to capitalize on these opportunities that God gives me so I prepare myself. I really feel, especially, how important it is to seek God in constant communication because some days can really be a roller coaster or battlefield. Through prayer it gives me hope that He is with me in whatever decisions I have to make today and in the days to come. Some days all I can really do is send my questions to Him for a better understanding.

With constant confession, Chris Shook says that you don't have to go to your preacher, priest, or church to confess to God. He knows our thoughts and welcomes us to open our hearts to him. I can definitely believe this one because some days, I can be a firecracker like anyone else and leaning on God is the only way for me to refocus and get back on track. When you can't tell anyone else, even your best of the best, about your issues, then He is the one to go to because he won't judge, but will listen and bring a solution to the issue. That's why I always say that everything happens for a reason because I see how things just "magically" turns around for me and gives me new insight and light on things that may have me unsettled.

Face Time
Instead of posting Today's Challenge, I thought that the Face Time exercise in the journal would be great for you on today. Complete these phrases with your own personal need or want, etc.

1. God, I need Your help to stop relying on my own power instead of Yours. Especially when it comes to_________________________________________________________________________.

2. But Your wisdom is endless. Your abilities are boundless. And You care more about me than I can ever know. So I want to live in Your power today. You know what's on my heart right now, so I'm asking for Your help with________________________________________________________________.


If you want to leave feedback or a comment, I would love to hear what you come up with.

Day 3: Time Squared - Spending Your Most Valuable Resource

One Month To Live: Transformational Journey

Life Lesson (from journal): "Time once spent cannot be reclaimed. Once an hour, minute, or moment is over, it's gone forever. However, we can redeem the remaining time we have. We can reconsider our God-given purpose and the eternal legacy we want to leave behind and allow them to guide our schedule moving forward."

In the audio version of the book, Kerry Shook talks about the story of a man who was told he had 6 months to live. He asked his doctor if there was anything he could do or take to change the outcome of the life-threatening disease. His doctor said you can buy a pig farm and marry a woman with 14 or 15 children. The man said, huh...and the doctor said that this will make your time on earth seem a lot longer with all that action going on. This was a joke, but seriously, if we spent our time appreciating life and all that is in it, then our time would be well spent. When we allow ourselves to be burdened by the things we cannot control, we lose precious time that we would've used for our family, friends, loved one, or ourselves. This was the  main topic of today's Day 3: Time Squared.

(Thought from journal): Charging or discharging? Say you spend an hour with a friend or loved one. You can keep your heart closed off, or you can open up and engage personally. Either choice costs sixty minutes. But one sucks the energy out of the time, out of you; other saturates the minutes with life.


Brainstorm ways to improve your energy management for one top priority, not by necessarily devoting additional time, but by engaging more personally and deeply. Think of one tangible thing you can do today and write it down.

My Answer: I have a real big tendency of being on the internet a lot and I have decided to take more time with my cats (play time with them), and also my sister on her off days from work. We hang out, but its really not as much as I would like due to our schedules, but I'm willing to work on that. My healthcare home business, I have created 10 new videos and I can edit at least 5 today and upload them to Youtube so I can get more traffic to my healthcare services. I have decided to focus even more on my acting career, as far as training, so I have reassessed my spending and budget today to see where I can approach things better. I'm excited!

Today's Challenge: Collect Scripture passages -- as many as you can -- that clarify God's priority system. Use a concordance or a Bible search program on your computer to find words like BETTER, RATHER, GREATER, IMPORTANT, and MORE PRECIOUS. To get started, have a look at Psalm 37:16-17, Proverb 8:10-11; Daniel 3:28; Matthew 23:23; and 1 Peter 1:6-7. The journal also recommends that we look up terms and words that may be surrounding our issues to get a more biblical sense of them, so I'm going to begin doing that daily.

Time for your feedback and comments. Tell me what you come up with.

Day 2: Roller Coaster - Riding The Big Dipper

One Month To Live Transformational Journey

Life Lesson (from journal): "The world says,"Don't be ridiculous; be reasonable. Don't stand out. Don't take risks; play it safe, and make security and comfort your primary goals in life."... God calls us to a life of faith, living every moment all out for Him.
In the audio, Kerry Shook speaks about his experience on this big roller coaster called the Big Dipper. He absolutely would have a blast on it and felt scared for his safety and full of exhilaration all at the same time. He really describes how the roller coaster creeps up to the top before it makes its unexpected fall. I felt so nervous and freaked out just listening to his encounter and visualizing it in my mind.

From this experience he reflects on how important it is for us to take risks and not play it safe because we are living life as we speak. So many of us become complacent and put off for tomorrow or years to come, what we should be working on today. Maybe a lot of us do this because of our lack of faith. This leads me to a question I highlighted and answered in the journal.

Question asked in journal: To change your primary goal from personal safety to adventurous obedience requires strengthening your faith. You can't become a marathon runner overnight. What's a reasonable, stretching step of faith for you to take today? What might you attempt in a week or a month?

My Answer:  I can't become a full-time actress or millionaire entrepreneur overnight, but I can get into action with completing the steps to get me closer to these two final endeavors. In a week or month, I can increase my classifieds for my business, write more articles, and create more videos concentrating on more people with a need for healthcare or home business ownership. For my acting, I can look for free commercial or audited class opportunities in my area and even film classes to keep myself ever ready for my future auditions. I can continue increasing my income with senior care and even other flexible work, which will assist me in getting new headshots for theatrical mailings and audition submissions.

Today's Challenge: Write down three things that are important, though no urgent, that you have put off until "someday." Choose one and take the first step toward accomplishing that goal today.

My Answer: I have been working hard and focusing on my goals to move me forward in my acting and my healthcare business. So, I believe for myself its really increasing the work or marketing I am putting out there for both.


What is your answer to Today's Challenge? Post your comment. I would love to read it.

P.S: Sometimes you may feel a little afraid to venture out of your comfort zone to find your true purpose. It may be looking you in the face everyday, but you haven't got the courage to make things happen. Well, all it takes is "A First Step" and then you will see how you can maneuver everything around to ultimately reach your real joy and happiness in this life. No settling...it's more to life for you...He is right by your side when you are afraid to jump, so just do it and he will catch you!

"God is an expert driver. He knows right where He's going, and He's in total control when you feel afraid" (quote from journal)

Day 1: Living the Dash - One Month To Live Transformation

 One Month To Live Transformational Journey

Life Lesson (from journal): "You get to choose how to spend that little dash of time between the two dates of your earthly existence. What are you spending yours on? Are you living the dash, knowing fully who you are and why you're here? Or dashing to live, hurriedly spending precious time chasing things that really don't matter to you? The psalmist prayed, " Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should." (Psalm 90:12, TLB)

 Early this morning I listened to the recording for Day 1 on living the dash. I didn't know at first what they were referring to about "living the dash" until Kerry Shook began talking about grave stones. He referred to our life being reduced down to a single dash between the day we were born and the day we die. Kerry Shook talks about how important the time is we use on this earth.


In my journal for today, they ask a lot of questions about how you are living today and how you can begin to kick your life into shape. This was the introduction of what was to come.

One specific question that I wrote a lot on was, "What one or two risks do you sense you need to take? More specifically, what investments of time might you need to make despite the potential  embarrassment, loss, pain, or cost?

My Answer: I am a risk taker naturally but in a healthy way. Pursuing an acting career is a risky endeavor, working a health care home business is risky and those are my low risks that I NEED to take. If I don't then I feel like my life's purpose would be lost. I know that with both of these endeavors I do need to continue to find funds to market myself and that is always something I need to continue to research even more aggresively over these next 30 days. I have things I need to learn and get done to advance both of these risky endeavors. I have seen loss, pain, cost, and embarassment, but I continue because I feel like this risk is one that will take me to my ultimate purpose. I have learned the hard way, humility and can say that I truly have humility. I have been pushed forward two steps and pulled back four. I would get frustrated by this, but realized this morning that God wants me to continue to see that He is the one who is doing all things for me and I can't leave him behind while I'm riding on my horse into the sunset with my successes. He is a jealous God. So, I really got it this morning during my meditation period.

Today's Challenge: Take a few minutes to talk with God about what this one-month commitment is likely to require from you. He sometimes uses unexpected timing and methods. Are you open to His plan?
Recommended reading: Joshua 1:1-9, the sequel to Moses' farewell sermon

My Answer: Wow, I read the recommended reading during my quiet time and it totally struck me because I know I am called to be a leader and sometimes I like to lead from the sidelines, but after reading how God gave the charge to Joshua to take the people into the Promised Land. I knew that I had to take the charges that God has given me. So, these next 30 days, I'm eager to know how my leadership is needed in this life besides the risks that I am focusing on. He told Joshua to be "strong and courageous"....he will never leave him.

P.S: Maybe God is beginning already. I had an audition today for Anna's Linens. I am planting seeds and He only knows the outcome. 



Leave your comments. I would like to know what you think and read your views on Day 1.

If I Had Just One Month To Live...My 30 Days To A No-Regret Life

From my previous post, I was telling you that I will be embarking on a 30-Day Transformational journey. I was watching a sermon on television one Sunday morning recently by Kerry Shook and he had his wife on the stage. They were talking about how so many of us take our lives for granted and really are not doing what we know we were called to do. We settle on the jobs we have, put our gifts and talents in a closet to accumulate dust, and pretty much give up by using age as an excuse. So Kerry Shook threw in the monkey wrench, what if you had just one month to live! I continued to listen to the sermon and by the end wanted to really see if I was a victim of this same thing and decided to take myself on this deep inward journey.

Kerry and Chris Shook recommended their book One Month To Live as a tool to use to assess this. I got the CDs and their Journal because I know I will soak in everything better by listening and then writing in the journal about how I feel about things. I will be committing an hour a day in the early morning to just listening, meditating, and writing my findings. I will post for the next 30 days my findings and how this journey is impacting me personally and the things around me.

Ask yourself, What if I had 'One Month To Live'? What would I do differently? If you can truthfully answer that question and you are not currently doing that something, then take the challenge for yourself and write about it. Or, since I will be posting daily on each topic for the next 30 days, follow along with me and post your comments to share in each of my daily posts on what you have found about yourself. We can share together!