Allison Wetherbee

The 23rd Psalm declares some of the most joyful words in the Bible and does so without denying harsh reality ~ though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. The shadows are acknowledged with the assurance that our comforter is there. My favorite verse from Psalm 23 is, “my cup runs over.” It’s such a visual statement that you can’t help but see its image in your mind when you read the words!

We all go through times when it feels like our cup is empty and dry. We wake up every morning worried and wondering when the other shoe is going to drop. Living with that kind of dread is not really living at all. But what I have learned through those times is that eventually, the shoe does drop!

If you thought I was going to say that those times will pass, well, of coarse they do. The one inevitability in life is change. But my experience has been that major change only occurs after something implodes! And once that shift happens, things can’t be the same. It’s at that moment that most of us take closer look at our cup.

My cup runs over when I see that what was always there is still there. My cup runs over with survivors, kids of all ages, the tried and true, the untamed, guitar players and a countless number of past, present and future blessings.

So, how about you?

When I was a counselor, I worked with a lot of people who dealt with addiction.
One of my favorite aspects of this work was the 12 Steps. I see a lot of
Recovery Program commercials these days that advertise, “this is not a 12 step
program.” And that’s just sad to me!

I realize that not many of my readers will share my passion about recovery
moving away from the 12 steps! LoL! Unless you’ve been personally involved, you
probably could care less.

But what if I told you that the 12 Steps are actually a
set of very simple spiritual principles that can be applicable to almost any problem?

Everything from weight control to anger management and relationship problems to
financial issues can be applied to the 12 steps. I’ve even used them over the
years in dealing with my disability!

So, if you’re dealing with any problem that renders your life unmanageable
and leaves you feeling powerless, check out the 12 Steps for yourself. They
teach personal accountability, to “Let Go and Let God” and promise that you’ll
have a spiritual awakening as a result. That’s pretty good stuff!

“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face.” Eleanor Roosevelt

All my life, I have heard people tell me that I am strong. I even began my book with a story relating my coming to terms with my God given resiliency. He definitely made me that way … hard-headed refusal to give up, is more like it!

My experience has been that my very definition of strength continues to evolve. It changes with every encounter I have with fear … mine or anyone else’s. Each new “face off” with fear brings a deeper understanding of strength.

Strength is knowing that you cannot control outcomes and continuing move forward anyway. It’s knowing that as long as there is breath in your lungs, God wants you here for His purposes … even if His purposes have not yet been revealed. True strength is trusting that the Power that makes the sun shine and the flowers grow is watching over our lives with a love that surpasses our understanding.

So, my last post received lots of attention … lots of feedback from comments and emails … which I love! Keep ‘em comin’!
Most of the feedback I received related stories about haters in people’s lives. “Haters” is a word that I don’t recall people using much until the last few years but it’s [...]

If you’ve ever been in a situation where you’ve had to conduct a lot of job interviews, you will recognize this scenario. You ask all the pertinent questions about the job and then you get to the more personal questions. One of mine has always been, “Do you smoke?” And if the answer is yes, the applicant [...]

I saw a comment on Twitter last night that got my attention. “People will treat you how you TEACH them to treat you.” What an empowering statement that is! And if you really buy into it, what a “victim mentality” breaker it is!
People will treat you how you TEACH them to treat you. You can’t be a [...]