{"id":951,"date":"2017-05-17T10:44:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-17T15:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/whats-your-true-nor\/"},"modified":"2019-02-18T10:09:52","modified_gmt":"2019-02-18T16:09:52","slug":"whats-your-true-nor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/?p=951","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s Your True North?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-kGIO2b5hvkM\/WRvF75GK3QI\/AAAAAAAAWX4\/fRzj1_RJeMwkfeHI7f_XgvnFWmV39Dn4gCLcB\/s1600\/I%2Bcan%2Bdo%2Ball%2Bthings.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Icandoallthings.jpg\" width=\"392\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>This morning, as I make my way back to my home in Texas, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the last few days in Oklahoma &#8212;<br \/>\nmost of which was spending quality time with my sweet mom-in-law.  Serving her over the last couple of days has been such a joy, but along with the serving, came the thanksgiving for having a legacy of being part of a family that puts God first in everything.  That legacy runs through my veins, so much so, that I know what my TRUE NORTH is. <\/p>\n<p>Let me explain &#8220;TRUE NORTH&#8221;.  Our &#8220;true north&#8221; is our orienting point &#8212; our fixed point in a spinning world &#8212; that keeps us on track as a parent, a friend, a son or daughter, an employee or employer, and as a fully devoted follower of Christ, etc.  It comes from our most deeply held beliefs, values and principles that we live by.  It is our internal compass &#8212; completely individual to each one of us.  Our True North keeps us centered on what&#8217;s most important to us&#8230;.but, most of all &#8212; to God. <\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s how it works for me.  I must be myself &#8212; with the gifts and abilities God has given to just me.  I must own them all.  When I am myself and not trying to be someone else, I feel so alive and confident knowing I am being the real me and that&#8217;s when I know I&#8217;m in-sync with my True North.<\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-NvVMEQ5rCYQ\/WRvGBn96mcI\/AAAAAAAAWX8\/Hh3qTWu5tOogvNpEF5X5kz1UJhkm9JNfACLcB\/s1600\/Owen%2BDonna%2BSwim%2BMeet%2B5-16-17.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/OwenDonnaSwimMeet5-16-17.jpg\" width=\"276\" height=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>I was a I was a little wimpy while I was here in Tulsa because I realized how much I missed it here.  There are so many places, people and things that I hold dear because my sweetheart and I made this place our home, with so many memories and friendships for  over 40 years. Initially, I felt a little guilty about having those feelings because I know, without a doubt, God called me to a new place.  Then, I pulled myself together and owned those feelings without regret because they expressed ME!  But here&#8217;s what else I know about me, the best of me &#8212; and that&#8217;s accepting my new day, new life, new friends, new expectations, making new memories.  Certainly not forgetting the past, but using it as fuel to propel me into my future.  <\/p>\n<p>The finale of my Oklahoma visit was spending precious time watching my godson with his mom and dad at his Swim Meet last night.  This boy was a sick little baby when he was born, but here&#8217;s his True North.  His beginning and his past no longer defines him.  He is defined now by how he finishes.  Sure, he had some hearing loss, but he has a &#8220;pitch perfect&#8221; singing voice.  Sure, he had a collapsed lung at birth, but today those lungs equip him to swim a mile in a triathalon, as well as swim in four heats last night. Owen&#8217;s True North is no doubt, Philippians 4:13 &#8220;I CAN do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.&#8221;  Come to think of it, that&#8217;s my TRUE NORTH, too.  I also, can do all things through Christ Who strengthens ME!  And, so can you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This morning, as I make my way back to my home in Texas, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the last few days in Oklahoma &#8212; most of which was spending quality time with my sweet mom-in-law. Serving her over the last couple of days has been such a joy, but along with the serving,&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5797,5798,3679,5799,5800,1685,5801,5802,5803,5804],"class_list":["post-951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-beliefs","tag-fixed-point","tag-i-can-do-all-things-through-christ","tag-internal-compass","tag-orienting-point","tag-philippians-413","tag-real-me","tag-spinning-world","tag-true-north","tag-values"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=951"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6687,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/951\/revisions\/6687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mypeacezone.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}