Day 34

It's Day 34 of  The Red Shoe Project and out of necessity I have taken my white Niki sneakers and painted them RED.  LOL!  What can I say?  I can't be putting off my daily workout due to lack of  proper footwear... and this will work out just fine!

I've been pondering this whole "bike" parallel with "living by faith", these past few days. Do you remember your first two wheel bike? I think I was about 6 years old.  My dad bought a second hand two-wheeler from someone in the neighborhood. It was originally red and white stripes, but my dad spray painted it gold for a fresh new look.

To a young kid in the 1960s, a bike was a total necessity!  You became a super-hero on a bike, by going what seemed to be "faster than a speeding bullet!"  Not to mention that your world expanded, big time!  In those days, there were two ways kids got around the neighborhood.  1) You walked  or  2) You rode your bike.  Parents didn't drive their kids everywhere the way they do today.

Back then, somewhere around 9 or 10 a.m., you're Mom literally shuffled you out the door stating, "Go Play Outside!"  The Neighborhood was your playground.  You returned at noon for lunch. And then you weren't expected back until 5:00 for dinner.

Without a bike, the neighborhood consisted of your front porch, your yard, and your street, at best.  But with a bike... the neighborhood boundaries enlarged significantly!  One's only restriction was time. You had to be back in time for the meal.  Remember... in those days, there were no cell phones to call home.

Taking all that into consideration, you can imagine the importance of not only receiving a bike of your own... but learning how to ride it well enough so that you could go "off the street" and explore the world.

 Decades later, I can still remember the grueling process of learning to ride.  I walked out to the back yard in the morning, and there it was parked in the driveway.  No one instructed me. It was more like, "Figure it out and Practice it until you get it."

With that, I positioned myself on the bike and began to test it out.  That balance thing was tough!

Try.  Fall over.  Try again.  Fall over.
Try again.  Go for 2 seconds.  Fall over.
Try again.  Go for 2 seconds.  Fall over.

That went on all morning. I just couldn't seem to stay up for very long.  I'm sure the thought of giving up crossed my mind many times.  But after lunch, there I was, again, positioned on the bike, determined to make it happen.

One... Two... Three... Four seconds up, then boom, down again.  That's ok, that was progress!

The afternoon was more of the same.  Relentlessly, I stood the bike back up and gave it another go... and another go and another go.  Over and over again for hours.  It was harder than I thought.
One more try.  Another one more try.  And another.

Finally,  later in the afternoon, the 4 seconds turned into 7.  The 7 seconds worked up to 8, 9 , 10 seconds and more.  Soon, I was cruising up and down the driveway!  I was doing it!  Not perfectly, (of course), not yet anyways.

But, I was well on my way to mastering the skill of bike riding!  In due time I would be out and about with all the other kids my age... Going here... Going there. Searching and seeking adventure, wherever it could be found.

Now you know why mastering this "living by faith" thing is so important to me. It's just the grown up version of bike riding!

So, today I'm off... RED sneakers and all, to practice some more.  Before you know it... I'll be conquering the world for Christ!  And having a blast doing it!

Happy riding,

Gail

Day 33

Month 2... Day 33 of  The Red Shoe Project  - I opened my eyes, and there it was in big, bold letters, hanging on the wall, directly in front of me:

" B E L I E V E "

Along with it came the voice of God:

"You're on your way, Gail.  Just remember... 

 BELIEVING is a mindset.  

Every morning you can choose to believe 

that I've got a plan for you...

 that I'm in control... 

that I will take care of all your needs... 

and that I will work everything out for the good.  

Or...

you can choose not to believe... 

to take control of your own life, 

to steer your own course, to do it yourself."

Hmmmm... Let's see. Do I even need to think about this one?  Partner with God and everything is possible! There are no limitations. On the other hand,  Do it Alone and all of a sudden... everything shrinks significantly because I am limited, in every way. 

Not that it can't be done alone.  People "do it themselves" all the time. But that's not an option for me.  I've tried that way... on many occasions... and I never like where I end up.  I'm going with the Divine Partnership!

"There is a way that seems right to a man,

but ultimately it leads to death."   

Proverbs 14:12

"With man this is impossible,

but with God all things are possible."

Matthew 19:26

Two is Better than One... 

especially when the other one is God!

Gail

Day 32

We're into the 2nd month of  The Red Shoe Project - Day 32 - and people have begun sending me pics of RED SHOES wherever they see them.  I love it! To think that women all over the world are wearing RUBY SLIPPERS of one sort or another is pretty cool. Now... if they just knew how to tap into the Spirit of God, wouldn't that be powerful!

 It was really cold outside today, so as I puttered around the house, with my feet snuggled in my warm RED socks.  I popped on the Praise music, as I started the day, desperately trying to get my thoughts in proper perspective. It seemed like I couldn't quite get myself into that place, but it was all good.

Some days, I just feel so needy for God!  I just want to feel His touch, hear His voice, or see His handiwork. And I don't apologize for that.  I am desperate for Him! 

desperate means... 

• in great need of  
• urgently requiring   
• in want of   
• eager for   
• longing for   
• yearning for  
• hungry for   
• crying out for 

I kept pressing in, hoping for a touch.  Then finally, and quite suddenly, it happened...

I heard His voice.  It was like a Dad shouting:  

"You're doing it!  Don't stop!  Keep Going!  

You're living by Faith!  You're trusting me!

You're doing it!   Yahoo!!!!

Keep doing exactly what you're doing!

Stay focused on me!   Eye Contact!   Don't Look Around!

No turning back!" 

Yikes! I am doing it!

 Do I need a RED helmet and safety gear for this?

When does it start feeling like fun?

Ok...   I guess I'm on the right track.

I'm just gonna go with it.

Full speed ahead!

Gail

Day 31

It's Day 31 of  The Red Shoe Project - One entire month of wearing RED shoes and focusing on The Power and Presence of God in my life.  Yahoo!!!  I did it!  ...only 11 more months to go!  LOL.

Someone asked me today if I went out, at the beginning of the year, and bought several RED shoe options.  Not really.  I had my original, high-end, Ruby Slippers that I wear on special occasions, (like when I'm speaking). And there were a couple pairs of Crimson Red high heels in the back of my closet, that I've put to good use.  But as many of you know... I found out, real fast, that a comfy pair of Scarlet flats and flip flops were essential!  My daughter, Grace, agreed, and quickly gifted me with those. I've also, (with the help of a friend), transformed an old comfortable pair of ballet flats into glittery RED magical shoes of my own. And a girlfriend surprised me with a cute pair of red sandals. So I guess you could say I'm building my RED SHOE Wardrobe as I go.

All said and done, though, this Red Shoe Project has been so much more than a closet full of RED foot wear. My life is being transformed, one day at a time, and I can't wait for each and every day to see what God has in store for me.  Adventure.  Lessons.  Truths.  Overcoming Fears. Miracles.  And most of all... developing a deeper relationship with The King of Kings.  How great is that? 

I'm not sure if this comes across 

in the blog or not, 

but this Red Shoe Project  

isn't some fictional piece I'm writing. 

It's my life!   It's real. 

And I'm letting you look in the window.

Today, for example, something really interesting happened.  After facilitating a class this morning and then having lunch with a business colleague, I headed back to my home office, and couldn't resist a quick stop at the local Goodwill Bookstore for a little inspiration. (What can I say... this particular one has a plethora of motivational and inspirational writings!) 

While glancing at the shelves, I came across a small devotional entitled,  Jesus Calling  by Sarah Young.  I have heard several women mention lately that they simply love this book!

As I looked at the cover, I wondered, "Could Jesus be calling to me?"  I turned the pages to today's date. Ok, this was strange.  The book looked brand new, but this particular page had something underlined with pen that grabbed my attention immediately.  I took a closer look and  read it.  It was "right on!" There was God telling me not to worry, but to trust Him and to draw closer to Him in this challenging time.

All day I had been pondering yesterday's blog, about letting go, giving up control and going with the flow.  It's so easy to say "Just do it!" But, just doing it isn't always as easy as it sounds. Ya know?  As much as I'm trying to let go of the old and embrace the new.  It's still a little scary. I know I have to let go -- And I totally want to let go. But for some reason my hands are still holding on tight! And when I try to pry my fingers loose... I feel like the Holy Spirit whispers...

"Your trying too hard, Gail. This isn't that difficult!"

So you can imagine how I felt when the one part of this book I happen to read seems specifically directed to me and my dilemma...  not to mention that whoever owned this book before me, underlined it!  But maybe that was just a coincidence?  I flipped through the book, and there was another underlined message. 

"When you are plagued by a persistent problem - one that goes on and on - view it as a rich opportunity."

 Once again, the wisdom shared seemed perfectly directed to me and my concern. O.K. Jesus has my attention now... BUT, even still... Is God calling to me, personally?  I flipped through the pages one last time.  There was no other writing in the book, whatsoever, but what was this? -- just a page with a corner folded.  For the fun of it, I decided to take a closer look. There it was... Advice about CHANGE.

"To receive My Peace you must

  change your grasping, controlling stance 

to one of openness and trust."

O.k. so I know what you must be thinking.  "You're stretching this a little bit far, aren't you, Gail?" I don't know,  am I?  I'm right in the middle of this RED SHOE PROJECT, looking for God's Power and Presence in the middle of my every day life. I'm dealing with concerns and asking for God to speak to me specifically. I'm hoping He'll recognize my unique concern and give me divine direction. 

With that,  I walk into a bookstore, take a book off the shelf, open it to today's date, and the message, that just happens to be underlined, speaks specifically to me! And then the one other message in the book that's underlined confirms God's ability to be specific. And finally, if that weren't enough, I look at a dog- eared page and He gives specific guidance for what I need to do now? Just seems like God's answering me!

I looked down at my shiny, RED SHOES and decided,

Im choosing to BELIEVE... What about you?

Gail