What Then Is This Child Going To Be?: How’s That Working For You? (Trina Agee Cornell)

Trina is one of my heroes! We have been on many mission trips together in Honduras and I've grown to love and admire her. She's such a wonderful example, WCS has tried several times to persuade her to teach for us. Trina and her husband Bob live in St. Louis recently became parents to Connor! Pray for me as I continue my mission in Vietnam!

Ok, I admit it - one of my very favorite shows to watch is Dr. Phil. I do not know what it is, but I do enjoy his commentary. My husband loves to kid me about this - Dr. Phil has a way of telling it like it is with a passion that I find brave. During the school year, I look forward to going home, turning on my DVR, and watching his newest episode - I never do know what to expect!

I came across a quote of his today that resonated with me - "It's time to start challenging the beliefs that have robbed you of the life you deserve." We all grow up with a concept of ourselves that is based in our life experiences. Everyone comes from different backgrounds from a number of individual life paths. Our uniqueness stems from this - our paths shape and mold us into who we are as people.

We sometimes get a bit too comfortable in our day-to-day lives - we get used to the way things are and do not like straying from it. We also settle at times for the way things are, not thinking about what we could change or challenge. In Romans 12, the Lord calls us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, not conformed to the ways of this world - or our personal beliefs about ourselves. He calls us to allow Him to transform us, realizing we are new creations in Him and holding us to His standards - His Word.

For the longest time, I believed that there were certain things I had to accept about myself. I have had allergies my entire life, and I thought I would have to deal with them for the rest of my life. Since childhood, I have known that my weight would be a constant battle - a facet of my health for which I would have to work hard. I believed that these two areas of my life would continue to be a struggle for me, so I settled for a very long time.

Today, I am not settling anymore. My allergies are slowly becoming a non-issue for my, and my weight loss journey is back on track - thanks to some positive changes I have made in my life. Psalm 139:14 reminds me that “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” – the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. He has allowed me to face certain obstacles in my life – because He knew they would make me stronger in the end. Thank you, Lord – and thank you, Dr. Phil – for challenging me beyond my wildest dreams!