I’m sure you don’t do this but sometimes I compare myself to others. I look at other writers, or speakers, or beautiful singers of song, or super athletic Spartan racers, and I think about how amazing they are.
From time to time I’ve even been heard to say, “I want to write, or speak, or sing, or be a crazy mud runner just like her!” Well, to be honest, maybe not the mud runner part even though I do admire my friends who do that!
In fact, that’s just the way the conversation went today with my friend Debbie, who is here visiting from Washington State. Debbie laughed out loud as I read her a blog post written by Karianne of Thistlewood Farms, in which she shared about her amazing hair day.
Kari is incredibly funny and she truly does have amazing hair, and pretty red lipstick, and she writes blog posts delectable enough to save and savor over a cup of coffee.
This is an IG picture of me with Karianne at the Allume conference last Fall where I somewhat accosted her in my excitement over seeing her in person.
Debbie (also one to be admired at www.debbiekitterman.com), quickly reminded me of the message at the She Speaks conference we attended last weekend. Comparing ourselves to others will only rob us of our joy. Speaker Shauna Niequist taught us that not only shouldn’t we try to be like others but that the most beautiful thing about each of us should be the person we are behind closed doors. Ouch!
Shauna also exhorted us with these words, “Don’t be the next anybody!” In other words, don’t strive to be that person you look up to and admire. Be yourself.
God has given each of us unique gifts and callings, and when we are walking out God’s plan for our lives we are NOT each other’s competition. The enemy of our souls is our competition.
Other “sticky statements” I came away with from the She Speaks conference were, “Don’t let the enemy tell you that you aren’t called or that you aren’t worthy,” – Micca Campbell.
“You cannot miss your season of ministry,” and “Your ‘Yes’ [to God] today unleashes God’s ‘Yes’ [to you] tomorrow.” – Whitney Capps. In other words, be obedient to the thing God asks you to do today and don’t try to make things happen outside of God’s timing.
In one of the main sessions speaker Suzie Eller spoke to us and gave us this question to ask ourselves, “Is my need to be known greater than the need before me?” Wow, right? Because if I am truly serving God it is never about me.
I love learning and writing and sharing the things I learn. I love sharing God’s story, and my story, all wrapped up together. Inner happiness comes from knowing that He has chosen me and that He has given me a plan and purpose that is for me alone.
Y’all have your own plans too because God says to those who serve Him, “I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer. 29:11 NIV
Isn’t it great that we can thoroughly enjoy other gifted women and know that they are not a threat to what God has called us to do? There is always more power in teamwork than in going solo.
I hope y’all will take a minute to read Karianne’s POST and hear her amazing hair day story because, in her own words, “Us rock stars have to stick together.”
Just in case you were wondering, Debbie and I got to do a bit of antiquing while she was here with me this week and I got a killer deal on this beautiful set of antique dishes. I thought all this talk of amazing was the perfect place to throw them in.
Love, hugs, and gigantic blessings to you girlfriends,
TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, SundaysAtHome,RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays, GiveMeGrace
VMG206, TuesdaysAtOurHome, TheWinthropChronicles, Dream.Create.Inspire.Link, Rich Faith Rising Unite Linky,Time Warp Wife, Testimony Tuesday,Cheerleaders of Faith,Tell His Story
It’s great to admire the mud runners, speakers, singers, beauties…..but we’re each admired for something. Maybe not for those things, but for something.
You are so right! We all have gifts that others admire even when we can’t see them clearly ourselves. Thank you.
So pretty ! Enjoy your summer! Life is short !! And God Bless Mr Trump and Mice Pence!!
Hahaha! Yes Cindy 🙂
Patti, you have such a gift! Thanks for this sweet and needed message today. ♥
Awww…thank you for the compliment my dear friend. We are better together!
Oh my, that lousy, demonic comparison trap… Been there, done that, girlfriend. Now, go enjoy that boat ride!!! xo to both of you sisters.
Love you Susan Shipe!
Me too, Patti. Thanks for you beautiful reminder to be me. It was such a great post. I browsed around your site too and your projects are really lovely! I hope to muster up the courage to do a few of my own DIY projects. Be blessed! – Kia
Thank you for coming by and commenting on my post Kia! I’m happy you spent some time browsing too and hope you have some fun with the DIY 🙂
I’ll pass on the mud runner part too. 🙂 “Don’t be the next anybody.” Powerful words! Thanks for the encouragement, Patti. You keep being you!
Thank you sweet Lisa and you keep being you too! God is good 🙂
YOU are amazing and beautiful and I know this firsthand. You are grounded in who you are and after a long weekend with you, I left feeling a peace I didn’t have when I arrived. May we all strive to let God unfold our purpose and lead us to the giftings that He so graciously blesses us with. Love you friend!
Oh Mary, we just may have our own mutual admiration society going here as I feel the same about who YOU are. It was a wonderful weekend and I know that our group will move forward together even stronger and we will be able to encourage each other all the more to walk into God’s purpose for our lives. Amen to letting God unfold our purpose rather than trying to make it happen!
We have some of the best adventures together and make some beautiful memories along the way too. I hate the comparison thing, but I find that I get trapped in its web more than I would like. Oh, but then I have wonderful women like YOU in my life to remind me, I am me and exactly who God wants me to be. Thank you for your wise words… thank you for bringing laughter to my life, and thank you for teaching me to treasure hunt for the great buys by junking and antiquing 🙂 I love you my friend! oh and I love your new dishes too – simply beautiful, delicate and refreshing.
Oh my, do we!!! I love all of the memories we have made together. I think we could write a book of them, or maybe a Podcast! Thank you for always speaking encouragement into my life. Thank you for praying for me and believing for me when things are hard and I can’t believe for myself. Thank you for being a wonderful friend! I think our adventures have only just begun. Blessings friend <3
How do yo do it?
I always come away from your place feeling as if we just had a visit — and today there were more people around the table. You are such a blessing!
I’m so happy to hear that Michele because that is what I hope everyone feels when they come into my blogging space. Weren’t the other guests today great?! You bless me <3
Patti,
My MoMa always said, “To thine own self be true.”
I’ve always tried to apply that statement to my life.
I guess that’s why i am the unique one in “the crowd”!
I love this quote. . .
“You cannot miss your season of ministry,”
and “Your ‘Yes’ [to God] today unleashes God’s ‘Yes’ [to you] tomorrow.” – Whitney Capps.
Nicely done, dear friend!
Fondly,
Pat
And I love your uniqueness Miss Pat! Isn’t it great to know that God’s got this! Adventures ahead for all of His followers.
Patti, what a great post! It sounds like She Speaks was A-MA-ZING. What great truths you took away from your weekend there. When I’m struggling with my thoughts about where I’m at on my journey, it’s so easy to compare myself to others, as if we’re all in a competition, and I’m on the losing side of it all. I need to remember (as you shared) we are not competing with each other. God’s journey for each of us is unique, and it’s crafted by God for us alone.
Such a great post. And what beautiful plateware!!
Oh thank you Jeanne! Knowing that our journey is uniquely crafted by God not only takes away the pressure to compare ourselves to others but it creates such a sense of adventure. I can hardly wait to see what God has in store for you and for me!
What a great takeaway from She Speaks. I’m happy to read this since I went two years ago, but couldn’t go this year. Don’t try to be the next anybody! 🙂
It was a powerful conference Betsy and I’m happy to share my takeaways with others. It was very encouraging for a late bloomer like me! I do hope to go again one year.
Hey Patti,
Sounds like an incredible conference – She Speaks!
Love all of the quotes that you shared.
I was parked by you today on FaithnFriends.
Glad to find your site and your post!
Love your pictures, and I’m sharing your post today on Twitter and Pinterest!
Blessings,
Melanie
Thank you so much for sharing Melanie! It was a great conference and I came home so inspired to keep on the course God has called me to. Blessings sweet lady 🙂
“We are not each other’s competition. The enemy of our souls is our competition.” Amen and amen! What a timely reminder for me. Thanks so much! Following you at Suzie’s this week. Blessings!
Thank you for paying another visit to my space today Julie! You’ve blessed me.
You are so right about the comparison trap…………all it can do is rob of us our joy and satisfaction in life.
My Mother always told us not to compare ourselves to others because there would always be someone smarter,
prettier, funnier, more talented, with more money etc, than you, but hen the opposite is true as well, there
will be someone less smart, less pretty, less talented, less funny, with less money, etc than you……..and those people will be looking and comparing themselves to you…………..
We truly need to be our genuine selves………cause I think the Lord is grieved when we want to be someone else
or have someone else’s life…………and the world is looking for something genuine……….
I loved what you said about us not being each others competition, and that the enemy of our soul is our competition. So very true, and a great way to look at it………..he is always trying to stir up trouble………
Blessings for this great post. Also loved all your beautiful photos and that is very pretty china too.
Nellie
My mother used to say the same thing Nellie! Still, I had many years of feeling “less than.” That seems to be the subject of a lot of recent books lately and it is really a universal feeling among people. The enemy IS always trying to stir up trouble because living to our full potential is a threat to him. He is just plain mean! 🙂