Deneen Troupe-Buitrago

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Grow From Your Overflow Blog

Stay connected every week with my blog that provides helpful insights, encouragement, and tools to get you through your work week. God is Calling you to MORE and this is the place to get AHA moments as you live out your Calling in HIStory.

4 Places You May Not be Showing up Authentically

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Everyone wants to feel accepted, right? No matter what place you are in, you want others to like you and see you as a competent woman. You want to fit into the group. There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, we were made for community and therefore crave acceptance from it. BUT, are you compromising who you really are to ‘fit in’? Are you trading off a part of yourself so that others will ‘like’ you?

There are four places I think we, as women, compromise showing who we really are and it makes us feel disjointed, stifled, and fake. You may see yourself in one or in all four places bringing just a part of your whole self. And, I bet it feels like your authentic self will never emerge. God calls you to live your life in such a way that, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31NLT

Place ONE- At Work

This is the first place I see women hiding who they truly are. They are afraid to let others know they have a faith-life outside of the office. Oh, you may have integrity and work with excellence, but unless you are letting others know your WHY, you are not living completely honest with yourself and with God. Jesus warned, “But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:33

Place TWO- At Kid Activities

This place makes it easy to hide who you truly are. There is a surface level type of communication. It is easy to discuss the activity itself- soccer, dance, birthday. It is easy to get caught up in the cause of the PTA for the betterment of the school. It is easy to not voice your opinion about anything. Honesty is not required on this level and so you can become one of the crowd to fit in. But, God wants more from your interactions with those you see on a regular basis.  Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5, “But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.”

Place THREE- At Church

This place should be the one where you feel the most authentic BUT it is not. Many of us tend to put our best faces on when we go into worship, attend a Bible study or volunteer. You want everyone to think your life is great. The very place where meaningful relationships are supposed to take place ends up being the place where you feel the most unlike yourself. If only we all let down our facades and really cared about one another. Paul says, “Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.” Philippians 2:2

Place FOUR- At Home

This place is where your role may be to serve everyone else and therefore you are left empty. Women tend to leave their needs last when it comes to family obligations. Doing all that is expected of them so that others thrive. You make sure there is food on the table and laundry is completed. You watch the movie others want to see. You never turn off being the caregiver. But God wants your attention. He wants you to fill up on Him. Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

 

How can you be your authentic self in all these places? By being who God created you to be. He doesn’t ask you to change your personality but He does change you to be His representative here in your places. That is the way to feel authentic.

You may be trading authenticity for safety. The safety of acceptance, the safety of no conflict, the safety of . . . BUT, the Christian life is not safe. It is the greatest adventure and you are living it. Show up as the woman God has made you to be. And don’t be afraid. “But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7

Believe that you can be authentically you. Believe God will help you be authentic. Stand in your places as the person you are, living a seamless life that feels REAL.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

P.S. Find your PLACE with the Calling Clarity Course. Click HERE for details about how to show up Authentically in your Calling. Sign Up ends this week. HURRY!

 

How God Uses YOUR Equipping

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Equipping Deborah

Deborah was a judge and prophetess in her time. God had equipped her to do a special job. She was a political leader as well as a spiritual leader in Israel. I imagine there were great stories told about her around the tables of the women at that time and to future generations. Her sphere of influence was great.

She probably didn’t see herself that way. She was focused on what God had placed in front of her to do. So, when she gave the commander of the army the instructions she received from the Lord about how to defeat the oppressive army in their kingdom, she was working in her equipping from God.

However, when Barak, the commander, refused to fight without her leading the troops, she had a decision to make. Would she ignore God’s call to fight or would she become the commander-in-chief of the nation? She may have felt she did not have the skills to lead the army, she may have thought it was not her place. BUT GOD. . .

Though it was something out of her ‘comfort zone’, it was not outside of her skill set. There is a difference. Her trust in God gave her the confidence to move forward and lead the army. Her equipping had prepared her for this leadership role. Her faith in God allowed her to take that step of obedience.

Equipping You

You too are equipped with some amazing qualities. God has given you your personality, talents, values, expertise, spiritual gifts, strengths, and experiences so you can do the work He has for you. Your job is to understand how all this works together to live out the Calling He has for your life. It is exciting to think, you are the ONLY one like you that will EVER exist. And, His work for you is part of HIStory.

By knowing yourself better, you can better utilize the equipping you were given and shine in new ways. God is not the God of Sunday, nursery duty, volunteer outreach activities, or Bible study attendance. He doesn’t Call us to ‘fit Him in’ to our lives, He Calls us to ‘put Him in’ to our lives. To create a seamless life with Him front and center.

When He is first you can then access His power. His power to help you live out your Calling. When you know HOW He has equipped you, you can then focus on what is truly important for your sphere of influence. God wants that for you.

Equipping to SERVE

So, what is the Vision He has given you? How does He want you to move forward? Yes, it may be out of your ‘comfort zone’ BUT GOD. . .

He has brought you to the place you are right now with clients, customers, business partners, vendors and such. Now He is asking you to STAND OUT as the woman of God you were created to be. He wants you to understand HOW He has created you so you can show up whole, holy, and authentic in your marketplace.

Connect to this equipping by signing up for the Calling Clarity Course. God has placed this Resource at your feet so you can take that next step in obedience to His Calling. He wants you to do GREAT Things for Him. He wants you to know how incredibly unique you are. He wants you to FOCUS on what He wants to do in your life through your WORK.

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

P.S. There are only 5 spaces for this Course. Is God talking to your heart? Is this course the next step for you? Trust God, take that step.

 

 

The Great Commission & YOU

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Take the Great Commission Personally

If you have spent any time around me you know that I talk about how to live out the Great Commission. So, let’s review. ?

The Great Commission

In Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus says to, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The way I see it is that you need to ask God who are the five people in your life that need Jesus and just start praying for them. Then begin to have a deeper relationship with one or two of these people. When they know you care about them, you will have the opportunity to tell your story about being in relationship with Jesus.

I have said all this before and I wanted to make sure you remembered. ?

Before the Great Commission

BUT, I want you to look back at the command from Jesus. . . it begins with THEREFORE. That means there is something He said that was important before He got to this part.

There was a reason He gave them this command. AND, He gave the command to everyone present. He gives the same command to us today. We are not excluded from living out the Great Commission. In fact, we are part of the Church, the Church is the bride of Christ and as His bride our role is to be an EZER, a helper, to Jesus.

How is this possible? How can we HELP Jesus? That’s where the THEREFORE comes into play. As we say in my Bible Study, “What is it THERE FOR?”

So, let’s back up to verse eighteen. It says, Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.” Woah! All authority? What does that mean?

Since Jesus died for us and took His place next to God in heaven He can do and send whomever He pleases. AND it pleases Him to send you and me into the world to be part of HIStory. You live in this time, in this culture, to live out the Great Commission personally.

Your Great Commission

God has made you a steward of your sphere of influence. He is expecting you to live up to your Calling. And don’t forget, at the end of the Great Commission, He states that He is with you (and me) always until the end.

Do you get how much power has been given to you by God? Do you know He wants you to live out your Calling in the marketplace by being exactly who He created you to be? He wants you to figure out your BEST way to Serve Him through your work. To live out the Great Commission through your business.

I offer tools to help you do just that! The Calling Clarity Course is opening again. Get info by clicking here. We will go through exactly HOW God has made YOU: your personality, values, strengths, spiritual gifts, experiences, expertise, and talents. Through the Course you will pull all your pieces together to show up Whole, Holy and Authentic in your work.

Hurry to get your spot. ONLY five places are in this 8-week Course. Make 2018 the year you start living your Calling and living out your Great Commission.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

 

 

What being a Christian in the Marketplace is NOT

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How many of these roles describe you? A ‘mom’, ‘sister’, ‘daughter’, ‘wife’, ‘housekeeper’, ‘chef’, ‘chauffeur’, ‘board member’, ‘non-profit organizer’, ‘Sunday School teacher’, volunteer, ‘network marketer’, . . . whew, that list is making me lose my breath. AND, are you truly yourself when you show up to each of these roles? Are you being authentically YOU?

Playing a Role

My friend Dana asked me to coffee one day. After we got our green tea lattes and sat for a few minutes catching up she turned, leaned in, and with a serious expression asked me, “How do I show Christ in my daily business and work life?” She went on to explain how she felt disconnected to God throughout her work week and that she never felt she was truly showing up as herself because of it.

I explained that she was not alone. Many women feel like they are fragmented and showing up in situations as if they are playing a role. “Life is not a stage. We are to be who God has created us to be whether in the board room, the PTA meeting, or in our home,” I told her.

The tears welled up in her eyes as she went on to say she felt phony and didn’t know what to do to pull all these things together, to feel whole. She began to give me a list of things she thought she SHOULD DO to show others her faith while at work. She thought that may be the answer. I stopped her.

If you are there thinking, “If only I do… I will be a good example for Jesus at work”, STOP. As I shared with Dana, it is NOT about doing a certain ‘thing’. It is about showing the real YOU in all situations. Integrating all your roles into the unique individual God has created you to be.

The Role is NOT

Starting with the ‘It is NOT’ list will help your mindset the same way it helped Dana. Here we go…

  1. It is NOT about wearing a Cross around your neck or having verses around your office.
  2. It is NOT about praying before meals so you can show you are religious.
  3. It is NOT about inviting someone to church or talking about your church activities.
  4. It is NOT about seeking and hanging out with other Christians in your business circles or work environment.
  5. It is NOT about trying to fit in so much that you end up a secret Christian.

The Role really is

Dana looked at me confused when I gave her this list. You may be confused too. “What do I do then?” she asked. The answer is simple, LOVE. “What does that look like?” she asked.  I smiled, “This…

  1. Carrying your Cross into work each day by looking for ways to show love to others.
  2. Praying without ceasing to have a right attitude toward your coworkers, boss, and business partners.
  3. Inviting those who don’t know Jesus into a deeper relationship with you.
  4. Seeking opportunities to show God’s goodness to others by being truthful and fair.
  5. Trying to set yourself apart so that you attract others who need to experience hope.”

Integrating Your Roles

I went on, “Don’t allow the world to tell you that you must keep Jesus out of certain parts of your life. Integrity, honesty, goodness, fairness, and love all come from God.  You need it in business and you need to let others know where it originates in you.”

A small light went on in Dana’s eyes. “It’s not as hard as I thought,” she exclaimed. Her shoulders relaxed and she sat back in the chair. “Why was I making all these ‘should dos’ for myself?”

We get it into our heads that God has a prescribed list for us to follow. BUT, what He really wants is a relationship. As I told Dana that day at the coffee shop, God wants you to connect with Him first and then everything else will follow. God will help you choose best business practices, He will give you stamina to complete the tasks He has for you, and He will bring opportunities into your marketplace to tell others about Him.

Knowing YOU better is key to doing it well. Understanding how He created you unique unlocks the HOW to live an integrated life. The Calling Clarity Course can give you the tools to see HOW God wants you to show up as the same person in the office, the Sunday School class, and in the car with your kids.

Find out more about the Course by clicking here. The next opening starts in March. God wants you to be whole, holy, and authentic. He wants YOU to be you. Let’s work on figuring this out, together.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

Time Blocking and Serving God

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My day is broken down into time blocking tasks. For example, it is Monday morning and I have time blocked to write this blog. I ‘try’ to take away all distractions and just write.

During any day I have time carved out to get tasks and projects completed. I also have time blocked out for preparing dinner, going on appointments, and working with coaching clients. Is your day similar?

One thing I like about time blocking is that I get a lot more accomplished. Another thing I like is that I have an excuse not to deal with every distraction from others. I think that’s called, boundaries.

Advantages of Time Blocking

When you have many different things to do in a day, time blocking can make it easier. I am not just talking about in your business. I use it for everything (like when I said, ‘preparing dinner’). It gives me a way to break up my day and prioritize what I need to do.

So, with such a great tool for my schedule . . . How can I FIT serving God into my day? Since I believe I am called to the Marketplace, and I am assuming you are too, I need to figure out how to do it during my work day.

It may be simpler than you think. ? AND, I have an acronym to help you remember.

FIT in Time Blocking

The F in FIT is for Flair. The definition of flair is a natural ability to do something well. Some of the synonyms are Style, Aptitude, and Gift. You are exceptional, a one of a kind. God wants you to be your true self, not someone’s image of you or even someone you think you should be. You have something special that makes you the perfect person to do His work at any time.

The I in FIT is for Individuality.  This definition says, ‘a specific personality, character, or characteristic that distinguishes you from others’. Whoa! You need to grasp how special God made you. You are distinct from anyone who has ever lived or who will ever live. AND, He has called you to a specific job that is different from anyone else. He is shaping your character to be more like Him every day.

The T in FIT is for Timely. Again, you were born and live in this generation for His purpose. The business you’re in is no mistake. You are there to do the work, the calling, He has for you. Your service to coworkers, friends, and others belongs to you alone. God tells us that the ‘time is short’ and we are to make the most of each moment. Use your day-to-day moments to see God opportunities to serve Him.

Did you notice there was no time blocking in that? It’s because you have a unique ROLE that God has called you to. That ROLE also fits into your time blocks because it is designed for you.

Your Time Blocking ROLE

Of course, I have another acronym to help you. ?

R- Be the REAL you. God wants to grow you into His image so you shine for Him. Do it, every day, at home and in your work, while commuting and when having fun. See the people in your life as your way to serve God. Share yourself with them in ways that are natural and build relationships.

O- Be Obedient to Him. Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit pulling at your heart to do something or say something? Don’t squelch those promptings. Ask God for courage to act on them. He will not give you an assignment He has not equipped you for. It is in the little things, the care and attention you give someone that can show them Jesus.

L- Love others. On our own we are incapable of really loving others. Let’s face it, many people are not lovable. That coworker, boss, intern . . . will feel love when you allow God’s love to show through you. Make sure to fill up on God each day so you have His power to love others.

E- You will have an Effect. Those around you will take notice. Each day you will make others stop and think about you by the way you interact with them. Your depth of influence will grow. AND, opportunities will open for you to share your faith.

Time Blocking is a Tool

While time blocking is a great tool for you to grow your business and to take control of your life, it is not something you can utilize to serve God well. He doesn’t want you to FIT Him in along with your other activities. He wants to be woven throughout your day, your week, your life.

When you understand that your ROLE is to show others God’s goodness all the time then it becomes as natural as breathing. This Christian adventure is ‘figureoutable’ because it is simple.

Let me help you ‘figure it out’ with the Calling Clarity Course. God wants you to shine for Him in the way He has uniquely designed you. You have it inside of you to know how to FIT service into your life and how to live out the ROLE God purposed for you.

Check out the info and sign up today.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

 

Deneen

 

Re-frame your Thinking and See God Opportunities Everywhere

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Lean In

One of my favorite ‘secular’ books is Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg. In it she says, “We hold ourselves back in ways both big and small, by lacking self-confidence, by not raising our hands, and by pulling back when we should be leaning in.”

Are you leaning in to what God has for you?

I am intrigued with the idea of Leaning In . . .  to God.  Throughout her book one message rings clear, if you want something or want to do something then you have to stand up for it and sometimes fight for it.

Are you, as a Woman of Faith, ‘fighting’ for the ONE relationship that matters most?

Lean In to God

Connecting Faith & Business starts with your Faith. Let’s look at the concept, LEAN IN. Since I love acronyms, I have devised this one to help you visualize the actions behind it.

L- listen to God

E- evaluate and reframe your viewpoint

A- access His power

N- note or place your attention

I- imitate the Father and Christ

N- His name, your reputation, and whose you are

Lean In through God

Start with the vertical relationship to fill up on God. This is a daily habit that needs to be nurtured so it grows. Sitting with God each day gives you His perspective and aligns you with His plans for your day and your life. It allows you to LISTEN to what He wants to say to your heart.

Next, think about how you view your service to God. Do you think it is only when you are involved in a ‘church sponsored’ activity? When do you really think about asking God for opportunities to share Him? EVALUATE your pre-conceived ideas and ask Him to change your thinking so you see it more in your day-to-day activities.

Then ACCESS God’s power that lives in you. Because you are a believer in Jesus you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. You have God’s power to do what He wants you to do. God only asks that you trust Him and take the next step. Is that next step giving someone a smile? Is it asking someone to do something social outside of work? Is it doing something that is important to someone else? Get over any fear and know that God’s power will give you exactly what you need when you need it.

Take NOTE of what God is doing. We have heard slogans like ‘pay it forward’ and ‘acts of kindness’ BUT do you think to do those things? It is an opportunity to show God’s goodness. When you ask someone how their weekend was and their eyes don’t match their ‘fine’, take a minute to ask what is going on. Find ways to invest in the people around you.

As a believer in Jesus we are called to IMITATE the Father. What does that look like when we are reframing our opportunities to show God? Kindness, caring, attention and time. How did Jesus let others know He cared? He spent time with them, asked them questions about themselves, and listened to what they had to say. Start with a cup of coffee in the break room. Take someone to lunch who is having a hard time. Talk on the phone or skype and just be present with the person.

The people in your world are looking for hope and guess what, you have it. You can make God’s NAME known by being the woman He is calling you to be at work and in your business. Your reputation grows and in turn gives God glory. Don’t hide from Whose you are. Stand up and fight for your position at the table. Fight to show God to others as you LEAN IN to Him.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

Break with Tradition

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The Church You Know

I grew up in church, maybe you did too, maybe not. Either way, once you are in a church community you start to ‘learn’ how to be a Christian. Some messages are given very directly; others, more subtly.

Here are some of the overt messages I received: Go to church twice on Sunday and on Wednesday evenings, join a Bible study group, attend Sunday School, do outreach in the community, take mission trips, have your devotional times each morning, pray every day.

Think about your own faith traditions. What has been taught to you? Daily services, prayer rituals, volunteerism . . . Do you feel the life draining away from you as you think about it? Sorry.

For me, I remember beating myself up when I didn’t meet these imposed expectations. I took them in and made them the standard for how I needed to SERVE God. I thought I just wasn’t ‘good’ at being a Christian.

Bible over Church

Paul tells us in Galatians 5:1 “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” What does freedom look like for you? For me it meant finding a way to SERVE God that aligned with my personality, aligned with what I was doing (working), and aligned with what God was asking me to do.

Many of us settle for ‘doing church’ and then wonder why we feel inauthentic and stagnate in our faith. Christian business woman, entrepreneur, working woman, YOU need to shift your mindset to see yourself as a follower of Jesus in your every moment.

Do I dare say, BREAK OUT of your traditions? Break out of the messages that are coming from your community of faith and ask God what He wants from you as you stand in the Marketplace each day.

The Bible tells us to help the poor, the orphaned, the widows and the foreigner. That is universal. But above ALL else, Jesus told us to teach others about Him. The GREAT COMMISSION (Matthew 28: 18-20) says to make disciples of those who do not know Him. Those are your poor and orphaned because they do not know God.

The Great Commission also says to start in your Jerusalem, the people you see every day. That is your workplace. You have the most contact with people who are in business with you. What can you do to show God’s goodness to them? How can you be salt and light in your business?

God is not calling you to follow a set of rules: pray before meals, go to church whenever the doors are open, volunteer in the nursery. You were meant for MORE as a Christian Business Woman. God wants you to connect your Faith & Business/Work and see the Marketplace as your primary mission field. The place where you live your Faith out loud.

Free from Church

Are you stuck in the ‘I have to’ trap of church sponsored activities? Are you afraid you won’t grow if you aren’t plugged into your church community? God is asking you to step out and be 24/7 with Him. See your church as a community of believers who are there to encourage and support what God is asking you to do through your work.

I know what you are thinking . . . “If I quit serving as a greeter, a Sunday School teacher, a nursery worker, an usher, a committee member, etc. at church someone will be upset.” It is okay. God has a specific plan for you and He wants you to cooperate with Him for your success.

I have a tool for you that I know will help you connect your Faith and Business. It is my new book, CLARIFY 12 Principles to Illuminate Your Calling to the Marketplace. You can ORDER it this Thursday 1/18/18 @ http://amzn.to/2qowPNN. It is the place to get started.

God has so much MORE for you. Be COURAGEOUS and take the next step with Him.

 

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

Stop Feeling . . . Guilty

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We are coming off a busy Season. Do you feel relieved now that it is over? Have you had enough of organizing, cooking, cleaning, shopping, serving, volunteering, partying. . . Should I go on?

Do you feel like your life is a bunch of pieces in perpetual motion as you attempt to get IT all done? Are you filling up the time that you have with things you think you MUST do or SHOULD do? AND, are you trying to please people because they told you how fabulous you would be at doing just one more thing?

STOP STOP STOP STOP

Listen to yourself for a moment. What it is that one thing you would LOVE to do? What is pulling at your heart and bouncing around in your head. THAT is the thing God wants you to do.  As an entrepreneur and business owner, a working woman, you need to have focus. Just as focus is good for your business; it is good for your life.

Focus begins with journal in hand

Here are the steps:

  1. Ask God to come into the time (even if it is five minutes).
  2. Write down three to five things that are important to you. The things you most value in your life.
  3. Make a list of all the things you are doing outside of your work and family responsibilities.
  4. Circle any activities that reflect an extension of your work or family.
  5. From those activities, draw a line from each to the value it exemplifies.

It may take many sessions before you get it all out. Be patient with yourself and the process. Only items that can be legitimately connected to your values stay on your list. All the other activities? Start removing them from your life.

I am giving you permission to say NO and to QUIT. I am giving you permission to spend time with your family, to stay home in the evening, to skip a church service on the weekend, to not volunteer your Saturday away, and to focus on what is important to you. By cleaning out your ‘busy’ life you will make room to make MORE of an impact on your sphere of influence.

God has given you a specific assignment, a CALLING. It is specific for you. Your first responsibility is to take time with Him to listen and hear what it is He wants you to do, not listen to the SHOULDs. Jesus promised that your life in Him would be easy. Matthew 11:30 MSG says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

The lie is that your life has a secular part and a sacred part. That somehow you MUST keep the two separated. God wants you to be WHOLE. Living a life that is seamless, where you show up in any situation as YOU.

Keeping you busy and in motion is a tactic of the enemy to make you unfocused and confused. Align your WORK with your values, align your ACTIVITIES with you values. See your WORK, your job and business as your CALLING. God has placed you where you are right now for a specific reason. When you see your WORK as your SERVICE then you have focus to do more for God.

Being close to Jesus does not mean signing up for every volunteer opportunity. It means asking Him what the next step is in your work and life. Take time to listen to the Father instead of all the SHOULDs. Follow your true values, those things most important to you. Find the way to SERVE God through that and you will have focus, feel more fulfilled, and show His goodness in the overflow that happens.

The CLARIFY book can bring you into focus. It has examples and activities to help you discover what God is calling you to do through your WORK. It gives you permission to STOP the perpetual motion and REST in Him and His plan for you.

Be filled to overflowing,

Deneen

P.S. Get your copy of CLARIFY 12 Principles to Illuminate Your Calling to the Marketplace on Amazon starting January 18th.