There are a lot of things people say to me when I am out in public with my twin daughters, Kennedi and Brooklyn. I almost always get the question, "Are they twins?" I usually chuckle under my breath and then answer, "Yes, they are!" Maybe it is because I don't dress them alike that kind of throws people off? Who knows? I also get people who look at me with such pity and say, "Better you than me!" My usual response is, "Yes, you are absolutely right!" I remember my goal was to have people ask me if I were their nanny, because they couldn't possibly tell that I actually had twins. So far that has only happened once and I think it was their lighter skin and green eyes that confused them. So, I am still working on that one. Haha. The other statement I get quite often is, "Wow, you sure do have your hands full!" Besides smiling, I hadn't quite figured out a response to that one until last week. As I was getting ready to run up a small mountain with my jogging stroller and daughters in tote, a gentleman reminded me that I had my hands full. My response was, "I wouldn't have it any other way." He smiled and so did I. 

There is a Difference. 

There is a significant difference between lugging extra, unnecessary baggage along your journey of life and your hands being full from carrying the blessings and purposes of God. In a previous video post, I urged each of us to rid ourselves of any unnecessary weight that we may be carrying. This week, my hope is to encourage you to not let go of the purposes and blessings of God as you journey through life. If you are like me, you pray for blessings, miracles, new jobs and new opportunities. We imagine life becoming better, or easier with these added blessings. Finding out that we were expecting twins was one of the best and most memorable days of my life. Being 30 weeks pregnant with two babies was probably my most uncomfortable, most tiring, and if I'm honest, most miserable days of my life. I was carrying a lot of weight. I was carrying a lot of blessing. At only 7 weeks along, I never imagined being pregnant with twins would be so much work and not always so easy.

There is Resistance. 

Fast forward to last week as I was gearing up to run up this mountain. Pushing up two babies that weigh about 20lbs each, plus a jogging stroller, I calculate I was pushing up a lot of weight. I was still smiling from the gentleman's comment to me about my hands being full, and as I made my way up that mountain I was overcome with joy. I thought to myself,  "I wouldn't want to run up this mountain with empty hands, but instead with my hands full, gripping onto my blessings and miracles in hand." By pushing this stroller, I faced more resistance than the other runners climbing the same mountain. As I looked over, their stride looked effortless, meanwhile I was huffing and puffing all the way up. The more blessings and promises of God we hold onto, the more resistance you and I will face. Where extra, unhealthy baggage will break you, the grace of God will sustain and give you the strength you need to make it up the mountain.

There is a Purpose.

I have been running with my girls in a stroller since they were born and every time I run, it is a challenge. I love to push myself and get a great workout in. At times it can be discouraging because it can appear as though I have not progressed in my fitness goals or have developed strength. It was not until a few days ago when I went on a run alone. I needed to clear my mind and so I left the girls at home with BJ and went for a run. I ran one of my usual routes and as I  was halfway through the run, I realized I wasn't breathing as hard as I usually am and that it felt like a walk in the park. It was right then that I noticed from weeks and months of pushing weight and experiencing resistance, that I had developed strength. The people that are normally zipping past me on my run were behind me today.

There is Hope.

There are blessings, miracles and promises that God wants to give you and me, and not every time do those come into our lives to make life easier, but instead they come into our lives to make us stronger and more equipped to carry bigger and even better blessings and promises. When we choose to walk in the fullness of what God has for us, we must be prepared to walk this life with our hands full! I wouldn't have it any other way. Would you? Have you experienced resistance that is causing you to be discouraged? If so, my hope is that you not only distinguish the difference between unnecessary baggage and carrying the promises of God, but that you not lose heart when you see others zipping past you and instead you climb that mountain with all that you have, knowing that you are getting stronger with each step you take.


Every week I highlight a TRUTH about you, your life, or about a situation you may be facing and then I DARE you to believe it. 
Here are this week's TRUTH or DARE.



TRUTH: "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." -Fred Devito


DARE: Hold onto your promises and climb that mountain.