Strength Is Not Given

Strength is earned.

The biggest misconception any woman (or man for that matter) can have is to believe that strength is inherent from birth. It isn't. It's something that is acquired through overcoming the challenges and trials that He sets in your path. Those obstacles are like weights for your soul and—the more you lift, the stronger it gets—it's up to you to step up to the bench and do the heavy lifting all by yourself. That's the only way to become a stronger, more spiritually balanced woman of God.

Of course, over time, it becomes easier to remain still and shy away from the unknown because it's easier to not keep opening the doors with unknown paths and struggles behind them. However, there is little glory in conceding to your fears and allowing your soul to cower and remain weak in the face of a new challenge—challenges that, I truly believe, He skillfully places in our paths as reminders  that a) He knows you're there and b) is confident you can handle whatever it is He presents to you.

My personal view on facing these challenges is that we should feel blessed by their presence because it shows us that He's confident in our strength and ability even when we're not. That realization more than anything else gives me the motivation I need to continue to face my demons—no matter how frightening the battles might seem because I know where the strength to fight those battles will come from and I know I'll earn a few more stripes along the way if I stay the course.

Don't ever be afraid to step up to the bench, put on your gloves, and do that spiritual heavy lifting. I promise you as each set gets harder, He won't be far behind to help you—His hands beneath your elbows, offering you His services as your personal "spotter".

Get lifting.

Source: fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net via Kimberley on Pinterest

Should Tax Money Go To The 'Shop Around The Corner'?

Thanks to a federal grant, a local store in San Antonio was able to install a new refrigeration unit that will allow them to sell fresh fruits and vegetables to their local patrons. The addition of such items, it is hoped, will help consumers in that neighborhood make better choices about what they choose to put into their bodies.




The effort—as part of the "Communities Putting Prevention to Work" federal grant—hopes to be the first of many opportunities for the federal government to increase health and food awareness in local communities where food and health education is not as prevalent.

While I don't take issue with the government stepping in to introduce healthier food alternatives, I do feel that it makes more sense to spend the money necessary to regulate what comes into the country, as well as what is served to our children school via the Food and Drug Administration—FDA. However, I guess it's easier to service a community than a country where this particular matter is concerned.

Don't get me wrong, I do applaud the idea of convenience stores offering fresh fruits and veggies to its patrons but, in the end, it's still going to be up to the consumer/parent to make that choice and a federal effort to offer it won't necessarily guarantee a positive result.

Why I Stopped Shopping At Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart used to be my one-stop shop for everything—baby items, food, cleaning supplies, toys, prescriptions—but it's been more than a year since I've even graced the store's threshold. And, while I don't judge the millions of others who still make Wal-Mart their first, and most times only, option, I no longer feel comfortable spending my family's money there.

Why? Well, I can tell you the switch began shortly after seeing a documentary on the big box giant. The documentary entitled, "WalMart: The High Cost of Low Price" was released in November of 2005 and detailed some of the more questionable company practices employed by the company.

Some of the points that jumped out at me during that time were,

• First, the low-wages paid by the store contributes to many of their workers enrolling in state assistance programs. In 2002, in the state of Georgia alone, more than 10,000 dependents of Wal-Mart employees were enrolled in the PeachCare for Kids program. Wal-Mart is one of the wealthiest companies in the country, yet they have no problem passing the buck of their labor costs to the taxpayer.

• Second, their desire to keep as many of their employees part-time as possible. They don't want full-time workers on the payroll because then they would be forced to enroll them in the company-offered health plan—something they like to avoid.

• Third, they dislike unions, discourage their creation, and take steps, sometimes illegally, to ensure none form at their store.

The above points were enough for me, in 2005 to decide I would curtail my visits to Wal-Mart, but the birth of my first child made that difficult as watching the budget took precedence over taking a principled stance—particularly when Wal-Mart was still the only real game in town for low-priced, decent quality, goods and services.

That outlook lasted until 2009 when I learned about the infamous "dead peasant" policy:




After learning of this, the deal was sealed for me as far as Wal-Mart was concerned, and I haven't set foot in one of their stores since.

Of course they aren't the only company using shady practices to protect and bolster their bottom line (dead peasant policies are actually quite common—unfortunately), but they make so much money doing so that it makes them an easy target for those who simply don't like the way they do business.

It seems important to add here that, as a consumer, I had issues with them long before 2005, but there were few alternatives to them at the time so I sucked it up.

I found that I was frequently frustrated by standing in long lines at checkout (Wal-Mart was infamous for having only a handful of cashiers working at peak times), returning food items because they were not of good quality (on more than one occasion, I came home with spoiled or expired goods because the shelves weren't frequently checked or stocked), and I was never a fan of their sub-par customer service (I don't know who those people on the commercials are, but I've never met such a character at a real store—at least not where I live).

Overall, I just feel a sense of relief because I know I'm not supporting a company that seems more interesting in taking from the community than giving back to it. This isn't Sam Walton's Wal-Mart anymore, it's just a big store, with a bad agenda, and a whole lot of question marks as to just how much value they actually provide.

For my money, there are better options...even if they won't always come cheap.

Related articles

• Wal-Mart, humbled king of retail, plots rebound (sfgate.com)
• Wal-Mart At-a-Glance (sfgate.com)
• City Council To Address Wal-Mart Concerns Thursday (newyork.cbslocal.com)

Day 12: Staying Motivated...

It's a tough thing to do. No matter what your goal, exercising, eating right, finishing a project, reading a book, etc., it's tough to keep your mind settled and focused long enough to maintain the level of progress that you feel is necessary to say you are a success.

Some will say the trick is to set small goals each day and concentrate on meeting that one goal—that way you aren't overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.

The problem with that is, some of us are so intertwined in the day-to-day task of just being ourselves (as parents, as caretakers, as employees, etc.) that we fall short of even the small goals we endeavor to set. When that happens, we feel even more discouraged, making it easier to give up and abandon the idea of success altogether.

In my humble opinion, the trick isn't in setting a small goal that you can meet, but in remembering that if you don't meet your goal for that day, tomorrow presents a new opportunity for doing so.

Don't beat yourself up over what you haven't done, take pride in what you do manage to accomplish and give it another go tomorrow.

Does this work in all situations, of course not, but the idea is to keep your mind settled on remaining positive and recognizing your progress (no matter how big or small it turns out to be)—the rest will fall into place as your life makes room for it.