Summary: <br> There’s a story of a young woman diagnosed with terminal cancer who began planning her own funeral. She met with her pastor and selected the scripture and the songs. One final detail as their meeting came to a close, she asked to be buried with a fork in her right hand. The pastor was puzzled. Why a fork? The young woman shared how growing up she would go to church with her grandmother. It was a good ol’ country church where once a month they would have a potluck dinner. All the best homemade dishes would be served. After eating her grandmother would lean over and say, “keep your fork.” That was her favorite part because she knew this meant the best was yet to come. Dessert was on it’s way and it was going to be marvelous.<br> Weeks passed and the young woman died. At her funeral it was standing room only filled with friends and family. One by one as they paid their final condolences to a life well lived, they asked, “what’s up with the fork”? Then the pastor preached the best sermon of his life sharing how this woman knew the best was yet to come. After this life was an eternity of the best darn dessert you could ever have.<br> Hey sister, keep your fork. We have heaven awaiting us. AND IT’S GOING TO BLOW YOUR MIND!!!! 1 Corinthians 2:9 says “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” You simply can’t imagine what God has prepared for you on the other side of this life. Everything you’ve gone through, everything you’ve endured, all the hard days will be overwhelmingly and totally worth it when you spend your first moment in eternity. You’ll want your fork for this. It’s gonna be really, really good.<br> But I encourage you today to not only keep your fork for heaven, but keep your fork for what’s coming next in this life. You have opportunities ahead of you on your journey to live bigger, be bolder, create epic memories, and share priceless adventures. The best is yet to come right here for you too!<br> A few years ago I read “Awaken the Giant Within” by Tony Robbins. It’s a giant of a book that should be more like a year long project to read and complete the assignments, but I tried to rush through it in 2 months. One particular assignment stopped me in my tracks and opened my eyes to a deep seeded belief I held within. It was a journaling exercise in writing, not necessarily thinking. You read the question, then you just begin writing and let it flow. One question was “what negative beliefs about my future do I have?” I sat in a bubble bath and journaled my answers, just trying to rush through it so I could get to the next page and complete this humongous book and move on to the next one. Once I got out of the bath, I sat and reviewed what I had written, and there in my own handwriting was a confession I didn’t even realize I needed to make. It said “I believe my best has come and gone. I have already peaked.”<br> Years before I had reached all my goals. I had slayed everything I had set out to do. I had experienced that perfect season in life where my kids still wanted to be with me, but didn’t need me for sheer survival. And it was over. The kids grew up and there were more important things for them to do on Saturday night than play a family game with their mama. The marathon had been run. The big house had been sold. The one year beach adventure was over. I was growing grayer, wrinklier and saggier and my best days had come and gone. And honestly, I was sad.<br> And then it was like God shook me and said “girl, snap out of it!!!!! I have so much more for you. Keep your fork.”<br> The next year I set out to make it my new peak year. I intentionally created more adventures and memories than ever before. I worked to become my very best again.
