I realized yesterday that I hadn't shared my Bible verses for 2019. I apologize for this. If you follow the podcast then you've heard me talk about how I've incorporated my personalized version of my Bible verses into my daily meditation and positive affirmation. I want to internalize my verses so God can use them to inspire, motivate, and encourage me throughout the year. I look forward to the day when I get up and I don't need to be reading from the paper because I've hidden them in y heart for eternity.

My word for 2019 is Renewal and as I consider different choices and opportunities throughout the year, my hope is have both my word and verses guide my decisions. If it is going to be a year of renewal for me then it requires change, an open mind, and a lot of strength to make the choices necessary to being the best version of myself I can be. My hope and prayer is to use the gifts God's given me and be the Lisa that HE designed me to be before I was even born. 

Let the year begin...

2011 - Isaiah 4:6
2012 - Psalm 62:5-8
2013 - 
2014 -
2015 - Romans 8:26-27
2016 -
2017 -
2018 - 
2019 - Colossians 4:2, 3:16; Zephaniah 3:217

Oh happy day! How is everyone? I hope you are doing well. As I de-clutter the house, it's helping to de-clutter my mind. In addition, the change in my eating and sleep habits is providing new energy and a renewed drive to be the best version of myself I can. 

One of my favorite Bible verses is from 2 Corinthians, verses 3-4:

In life, we have a lot of choices. I can choose to "just return" to the scene or I can share the journey as I do. Many of my faithful readers and followers have checked in via a message or note and others have just wondered. Then there are those that found a new blog to follow. All of these are normal and okay.

We live in a busy society and time is valuable and priceless. Time is also necessary to heal wounds, Psalm 147:3 tells us, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." There isn't a timeline with this because we are each uniquely made and it's in God's time, not ours. I've been in a funk since the summer of 2015, the summer when my Mom was diagnosed with cancer and was called home to heaven on my sister's birthday, September 14, 2015.

The journey from that summer to today has been a crazy roller coaster ride and one I've struggled to step off. I'm not claiming to have it all figured out or to be free of the pain BUT my spirit has healed a lot and it took me opening my mind, making a conscious decision, and listening to God's still small voice. 

To some, as I return more often here at the blog. You might think, "She's back!" but in truth, I never left, just took it slower. I started to attend a new church about a year and a half ago, this helped to renew my spirit and faith. This past May I started to podcast, this helped my spirit. This past Summer and Fall I started to focus on my  health. This month, January 2019, I put my good intentions into writing and motion by joining a Wellness Revolution to kick off my year. 

My hope in sharing this journey with you is so you'll understand that we all stumble and fall, we all have ups and downs, and we all have the ability to stand strong and in faith. The journey is what strengthens us and helps us to get our priorities into check. We all have something we are facing, it's a matter of attitude in how we face it. I choose to put myself out there. Some will ridicule and make rude comments BUT the majority will support, pray, and find hope in knowing if someone else can do it, so can they. So CAN YOU!

Happy New Year Everyone! Are you ready? It's your year!

As I walked with our dog, Faith, at the latter part of last week I noticed this beautiful sight. I'm thankful to have my phone in my pocket. As Faith played in the snow to my left, I snapped a few pictures. This single leaf in the snow took my breath away. 

The simplicity and beauty of one fallen leave. Notice the circle around it. There was a slight wind and because it landed on it's stem, the wind was gently spinning the leaf around, creating this circle. A framed leaf in the snow. The photo doesn't capture the glistening snow because the sun was shining yet if you take a deep break, or two, close your eyes and imagine a cool winter breeze and the warmth of the sun on your face...you might be able to see the snow glistening. 

We need to seize the moments of opportunity because it only takes a second, a second, for the beauty to be erased as if it never existed.

I can still see the leaf and it's beautiful circle framing it as the sun shined down. Faith may have ran across it as she played, yet because I took the time to absorb the moment, I still have it in my memory bank.

This is a life lesson. We need to slow down and take time to absorb the little moments and when possible, snap a picture and share it with those we love.

If we each share joy and happiness with those in our circle of influence, imagine how much better the world might be? 

Oh my goodness, Elaine and I had fun during this interview. It took a days to record, well, a few sessions over a couple days. We had a lot of laughter and phone calls. You will hear some of the laughter, joy, and conversation during the interview. Elaine's spirit and joy are contagious. I'm thankful she found time in her schedule to do this interview with me. Elaine shares her word and verse for the year, and then we dive into talking about her new book, Praise the Lord and Pass the Chemo: A Hopeful Response to a Hard Reality. 

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the podcast. We encourage you to share the podcast, this interview, and Elaine's books with all your friends and family in need of hope as they battle cancer. As a caregiver, I find this book a blessing too. It's a must read for all.

If you'd like an autographed copy of Elaine's books, visit her website and click on the "Bookstore" tab. 

T.O.P.'s Tuesday got its name in honor of my sister, Heidi M Allen, known as the Tower of Power during her high school volleyball days. T.O.P. One of her favorite things to do during volleyball, because it was a song she and her team did to bond and intimidate the other teams. They were more than a team, they were a volleyball family and each time they hokey pokeyed, they laughed and increased the energy in the gym.

After Heidi's kidnapping, I still remember the volleyball team coming to the Command Center and doing the Hokey Pokey in Heidi's honor. An amazing group of young ladies.

The day Where's Heidi? One Sister's Journey released, some of her friends came to my book release party and we did the Hokey Pokey together, Heidi was with us in spirit.

When I saw this comedian's AC/DC Hokey Pokey, I had tears in my eyes. Heidi was a big AC/DC fan so it's only fitting to share this in a new year's T.O.P.'s blog, remembering the fun-loving, dedicated, and family/team oriented sister I was blessed to be raised with.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a fun evening with family and friends ending 2018 and ringing in 2019. Our family spent it quietly at home. I'm one of those, "it's safer to stay home on New Year's eve" people. I don't know when it happened, but I've gotten old in my thinking when it comes to some things.

My new podcast logo has been posted on my podcast page, click here, for a bit now but thought I'd share it today as one of the first T.O.P.'s Tuesdays in 2019. If you haven't taken a few minutes to listen to my podcast yet, you should. It is fun to record and the "Keeping it Real" sometimes cracks me up so much, you might hear a laughing snort. This might be too real but oh well, reality is more entertaining than making things up. Or at least to me, and my listeners agree.

My podcast, Livin' with Lisa: Keeping it Real can be found on twelve podcast platforms now:
*AnchorFM
*Apple Podcasts
*Google Podcasts
*Spotify
*Breaker
*Castbox
*Overcast
*PocketCasts
*PodBean
*RadioPublic
*Stitcher
*TuneIn

If you don't have one of these podcast apps on your phone, you can also click on the link above and listen through your computer. In addition, the most current podcast episode is available to listen on my website, in the upper right hand corner. 

If you like what you here, share it with your friends and family. If you share via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram...be sure to tag me so I can say thank you and interact with you and your friends.

Thank you all for your encouragement, support, and time! You are all blessings I count and thank God for in my prayers. Have a wonderful 2019 everyone - share joy, love, hope, and encouragement with everyone you come in contact with. It will help to make the world a better place, don't you think?

​This past week I enjoyed a fun conversation with Jeanette Levellie, and my cheeks hurt from laughing. I've "known" Jeanette for a few years through social media, after reviewing her book, Two Scoops of Grace, here on my blog. Click below to listen to her visit on my podcast, Livin' with Lisa: Keeping it Real. You'll not only want to check out her books but you'll also smile a  lot as Jeanette's joy is contagious. If you can, leave a comment for Jeanette after you listen, and let us know what you enjoyed most. Have a great week!

A favorite aspect of my podcast is sharing a quote each day. For 2019 I gifted myself a new book of quotes, one quote for each day.

Each Friday on the podcast I do a segment called, Faith Filled Friday. This morning, the quote for January fourth paired with my message on opportunities. I love the way God works when we are open to see Him leading us.

The quote I shared from Chris Grosser, "Opportunities don't happen, you create them." As I read this, my head started to shake left to right. It contradicted the message I planned to share. It only took a few seconds to decide the next step, move forward as planned. It was an example of the message I planned to share today.

The verses for today are Ephesians 5:1-16, focusing on verses 15 and 16. Opportunity is defined as "1) a favorable juncture of circumstances and 2) a good chance for advancement or progress." according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Keeping this in mind, we don't create our opportunities but instead accept our circumstances and access the to move us forward, when it 's God placing the opportunity before us.

I encourage you to listen to today's podcast. We can't create an opportunity. Opportunities are unexpected and out of our control. When an opportunity is placed before us, the only way to know if is God opening a door or the latter, is to be reading our Bible.

There was a time in my life when I focused on creating my next step, thanks to my faith and age, I've learned opportunity is placed before us, not created. Have you learned this too?

To celebrate the new year we are revisiting the importance of choosing your one word and Bible Verse to guide you through the new year. I couldn't remember when I started to do this so I used the search engine on my blog. 2011 was the first year I selected a word and verse to guide me through the year. Thankful for the blog, if it was a hand written journal, I'd still be looking.

On the flip side, I can't find my bookmark that has every year's word on it, I can't remember which Bible or book I left it in. When, and if, I find it, I'll update the blog. Until then, enjoy previous blogs about my one word and the words I chose.

Tomorrow I'll share my Bible verse for 

Previous "One Word" I've posted about:
Click on the word to read the blog associated with the word

​2011 - The First "One Word" and why
2011 - "Faithful"
2012 - "hope" 
2013 -
2014 -
2015 - "Courage & Strength"
2016 - 
2017 -
2018 - 
2019 - RENEWAL

Information about “Word of the Year”

Tips for choosing your word:
https://www.inc.com/megy-karydes/5-tips-for-choosing-your-word-of-year.html
 
According to Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_of_the_year
 
Word of the Year generator:
http://www.wordoftheyear.me/
 
2018 Words of the Year:
Oxford Living Dictionary – Toxic
http://www.wordoftheyear.me/
 
Cambridge Dictionary – Nomophobia
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6540355/Cambridge-Dictionary-reveals-word-year-Nomophobia.html

This past week our nephew lost a fellow officer while on shift. This loss has effected his entire unit, neighboring units, and the families of all in the area. My husband spent time talking with his nephew. He's military as well as PD, losing a fellow officer in the line of duty has a deeper impact then serving on a tour of duty.

We think of the United States as safe and on some levels our military anticipate possible losses when serving overseas but not once they are home. We have no words of encouragement or hope for our nephew and family during this difficult time, yet the most important thing we can do is listen and pray. We've never met this officer or her family yet the loss and pain heard in our nephews voice hurts all the way to New York.

This loss for the Louisville PD will have a long term impact, our thoughts and prayers go to them all, especially this officers family. As I think about the transition and pain the department is experiencing, and the community, I'm reminded of a few things.

Our law enforcement and rescue personnel put their lives at risk on a daily basis, something I, we, might take for granted. I understand the risk and danger our nephew is in as he patrols yet to hear of his fellow officers death, my breath is taken away. We need to pray for our military, law enforcement, and rescue personnel...they risk their lives daily to keep us safe. The loss in Louisville has brought new awareness to a small town girl in New Haven, New York.

A special thanks to all who risk their lives on a daily basis.