What an inspiring weekend!!!!  I attended my unit's Mary Kay retreat and learned about challenges many women face.  The challenges were not just about their business, but in life generally.  The best challenge I heard was from Tina Dees, Cadillac Driving Top Trip Director.  She talked about her trip to Beijing, China and climbing the Great Wall.  The sparkling part of her story was as she climbed the wall, there were different steps.  Some small and some big.  As she climbed the wall, she began to run out of breathe, and wasn't sure she could make it.  After cheering her on and coaching her to breathe as she climbs, her husband then told her, "you don't have to finish, you can stop here."  Not wanting to be give up, she was determined to continue to reach the top to join a picnic with other Directors.  As she did so, there were others who did not even attempt to go up the steps at all.  Did Tina make it?  Yes, she did.  This story was so moving because it taught me that we sometimes face challenges, and do not realize that we can beat it if we try.  And after we have completed the challenge, we have learned a new limit within ourselves, feel accomplished, and realize that we can do anything through Christ Jesus who strengthens us.

The next couple of weeks, we will be going through some challenges.  Some may feel big and some may feel small.  These challenges are to strengthen your confidence in yourself.

Things to have:

• Jot down and have accessible the weekly challenges found on http://goladiesgo.weebly.com/weekly-challenges.html. 
  The weekly challenges help you take the week's challenge one day at a
  time.
• Bible

"To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?...."-Hamlet, By William Shakespeare


Ahhhh...the famous soliloquy from Hamlet.  In Translation, it's saying, "The questions for him was whether to continue to exist or not-whether it was more noble to suffer the slings and arrows of unbearable situation, or to declare war on the sea of troubles that afflict on, and by opposing them, end them" (http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/hamlet-to-be-or-not-to-be/).

How many times have you thought of a conflict or situation that felt so extreme and you began to think, "I don't have the energy for this" or "I don't know how to get through this" or "I don't know if this is worth it".  We all tend to have these thoughts or similar, and it's okay.  Conflict is necessary sometimes to help us grow stronger and to become wiser.  However, too much conflict can cause stress, and we all know that stress kills.

When conflict arises, it inevitably makes you question if you want to exist (not just in life, but in the conflict).  However, leaning on the everlasting arms and seeking the Word to define your purpose let's you know whether to be or not to be.  Many of life's situations are none other than a repeated story.  The only thing that changed was the names of characters, the year it happened, and maybe the time of event.  However, in the bible there is scripture for everything.  As I face life's conflicts at times, sometimes, going to a friend, family, or co-worker, etc. does not always provide me the solution that soothes my spirit.  But when I get in the Word......I find peace.  I feel a busy mind settle.  I feel a racing heart slow down.  And my endless questions end.  And when I feel confused or have trouble understanding the Word, I seek a spiritual leader (pastor mostly) to assist in finding clarity in addition to asking God for clarification.

So if you have conflict in life, and question whether to be or not to be that wife, friend, girlfriend, etc...."Seek first His Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:33).