Month: September 2016

are you one of the 20%?

kimberlyjoykruegerLeave a comment
youwerecreated.png

You were created to do something that ONLY you can do. God has prepared a “work” that is significant, unique and specially crafted for YOU to do. He’s prepared one for me, too. He has done this amazing thing for every one of His children!

Exciting isn’t it??

Do you know what is NOT exciting? This fact: Eighty percent of people who profess faith in God NEVER DO “THE WORK” THEY WERE CREATED FOR!

80%!

I was shocked and saddened when I learned this. Of course, my first question was “Why not?” Why do so many people miss this? What goes wrong?

As I was listening to Dr. Lance Wallnau describe a concept called “Convergence,” it made complete sense.

Convergence is what happens when your…

Gifts
Desires
Talents
Dreams
Purpose
and

Experiences

…all come together and position you to do “the work” you were created to do.

This is NOT an overnight process, as I’m sure you can imagine. This can take years, even decades. And a lot of different things happen to us during the preparation stages leading up to Convergence. One of those stages, the most significant in my opinion, and the one relevant to this message is called, The Period of Contradiction.

Boy, do I know this one well. I bet you do, too. Here is what happens during The Period of Contradiction—

During this time, everything seems to be taking you in the opposite direction of your dreams and purpose. It is a time when instead of things coming together, they seem to be falling apart. It is a time when people, circumstances and even ourselves seem to be doing everything possible to sabotage the great work we long to do. Instead of inching closer, we seem to be drifting further and further from significance or the abilit to help someone else. This period can be marked by failure, opposition, disease, false accusations, legal problems and on and on. Suffice it to say, it is a very difficult and dark time.

And it is the SOLE reason 80% of people do not complete “the work” they were put here to do.

That is because it is during the Period of Contradiction, that 80% of people give up. They go back. They retreat. They doubt. They quit. They go back to what feels comfortable or safe or even slightly better than the difficulty they are in and the world misses out on the greatness they have inside of them.

The 20%, on the other hand— they press on! They persevere! They hope against hope! They believe and their actions reflect their belief. They press through to Convergence and they change the world in the way that they were made to. The 20% are fighters, warriors, heroes and history makers.

So, how about you? Are you one of the 20%? Maybe you’re smack-dab in the middle of your Period of Contradiction right now… Will you stay the course or will you retreat? Will you cling to the truth? Will you press on and press through? Please do! Please don’t give up. So many GREATS in history are only written and read about now because they did not shrink back when all seemed lost. They forged on… and you should, too. The world needs you to make it to Convergence and do “the work” you were created to do!

I don’t know about you, but this really challenges me. This also makes a lot of “contradictions” in my life make more sense. Ultimately, it strengthens my resolve to make it to Convergence and to do the work I was made to do! I say YES!! I will be one of the 20%!

Who’s with me?

Pressing On!

Kim

xoxo

FEW’s Extraordinary Women of the Month

kimberlyjoykruegerLeave a comment
As President of The Fellowhsip of Extraordinary Women, I recently kicked off FEW’s Extraordinary Woman of the Month by interviewing an AWE-INSPIRING woman who I am also blessed to call FAMILY. Amanda Geissler is my cousin, a world traveler and an avid athlete. And I must tell you…the word ordinary isn’t even in her vocabulary!

Just a few days ago, on 9-11-16, I got to watch her cross the finish line of the IRONMAN Wisconsin race. The IRONMAN was on her bucket list for years and now she’s checked it off! This grueling race requires athletes to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and finish up with a full 26.2 mile marathon! (Yes, all in one day.) Amanda accomplished all of this in 12 hours and 52 minutes!
About to become and IRONMAN
She said it was the BEST day of her life.
Although these races are offered in various locations in the U.S. and abroad, Amanda chose the course in Madison, WI, one of the toughest IRONMAN courses in the country! Also noteworthy, the IRONMAN WI is the only IM race in the country that requires all athletes to enter the water, tread water until everyone is in position and then start the race from there! Amanda said she was getting kicked and hit the whole time she swam. (Check out the crazy picture of the swimmers below! Those are all arms and legs!)
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Well, I could go on and on about this amazing IRONMAN, but I’d rather have you hear from her! Here is my interview with Amanda. I LOVE her answers and LOVE her huge spirit! Be inspired, be challenged, be extraordinary!

Name: Amanda Geissler
Age: 32
Grew up in Thorpe, Wisconsin
Currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota
Current position: Sales Representative

Kim: In your own words, what do you think it is that makes a woman extraordinary?
Amanda: What makes a woman extraordinary is easy to describe- it’s confidence. (Please don’t confuse easy to describe with easy to be). When you are confident and believe in who you are, who you really are down to your core, the rest follows. You not only live your life with love and integrity but you automatically inspire others to do the same.

Kim: Who would you say are 1 or 2 extraordinary people who have inspired you?

Amanda: My family has always inspired and supported me to dream big. Even if it seems borderline crazy.

Kim: What would you say are your three most extraordinary accomplishments?
Amanda:
1. Ironman- both physically and mentally
2. Backpacking Latin America solo- taught me who I was
3. Maintaining life lasting friendships- I’m a huge believer that to have great friends, you have to be a good friend. I’m proud of my lasting friendships with friends and family.

Kim: When you crossed the IRONMAN WI finish line, what were you thinking and feeling?

Amanda: Crossing the finish line… Wow. Where to begin… I don’t remember thinking at all. All I remember is feeling. Feeling so intensely. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so much at one time before. Excited, proud, relief, sad, exhausted,… Etc. Mostly, I felt an overwhelming feeling of joy. Pure joy.

Kim: How many hours would you say you spent training for the IRONMAN?

Amanda: I started physically preparing for Sept 11, 2016, in October of 2015. Mentally, I think my entire life in sports, college basketball, running multiple marathons and life-in-general prepared me for the day. As far as training hours go, physically I was probably training 15-25 hours a week in the bulk of my training. That was six days a week, the majority being on weekends. Let’s just say I wasn’t waking up and joining my friends for Sunday brunch. Additionally, like any large goal in life, even if you’re not physically doing something to reach it, you’re always preparing for it. From what I ate, to how many hours I slept to making sure I stretched enough. Everything I did and thought about for 10 months contributed to my preparation for Sept 11, 2016.

(This is my favorite part of the interview!) I read a book over the summer called, “Resilience,” by Eric Gretchen. Gretchen is a retired Navy SEAL. He explained that when we went to SEAL training there were 255 people that started but only 22 actually become SEALs. The rest quit! However, he could only remember a handful of men that quit during the actual exercise. Most of them quit while standing at attention at the beginning of the day, thinking about the day ahead, what it held and wondering when they will sleep or eat again or what they might go through. The idea of the task as a whole was too overwhelming so they quit. That’s how I feel about a marathon or IRONMAN. The entire event is overwhelming but if you stay in the moment or concentrate on each mile or even each block, it’s doable.

Kim: What kind of impact do you strive to have on other women?

Amanda: I don’t think there’s anything better than women sticking together. If I inspired one woman out there to lace up her shoes and walk one mile, I feel it was a success. With a little hard work and a lot of heart; anything is possible.

Kim: What is something on your bucket list that you are yet to do that you consider extraordinary?

Amanda: Oh man, I have so many things to still do! The most important one for me is #16 (Yes, I have them in a book and numbered. I’ve completed 8 of 31 and started this list 9 years ago.) #16 says: “Never get out of touch with my sister.” No matter how many finish lines I cross or stamps I have in my passport, this one beats all of that. Life is about experiences and I would never live my life the same without my sister.

Kim: What is your favorite inspirational quote?

Amanda: I love so many quotes but this is the one I’ve read every day training for the Ironman: “Dreams, if they’re any good, are always a little bit crazy.” -Ray Charles

Well, I told you ‘ordinary’ was not in her vocabulary! And she didn’t even mention that she ran the Great Wall of China Marathon! Women like Amanda are the ones you want in your corner in life because they will push you toward greatness just by being themselves.

Amanda’s bold, courageous and extraordinary accomplishments have inspired me to dream bigger and act on those dreams. How about you?

How has Amanda’s story impacted you? Let me know in the comments section.

Thank you for inspiring us, Amanda!

Inspired to be Extraordinary,

Kim

Enjoy these pics of Amanda and her fans at IRONMAN WI!
Finishing STRONG!
Amanda and I
Looking good at mile 80 or so!
She’s so amazing!
Amanda with her fam
Team AMANDA!

faith that moves mountains

kimberlyjoykruegerLeave a comment
FAITH.
It moves mountains.
It changes history.
It anchors us in the storms.

Did you know that you were created to believe in something greater than yourself? Yes, you were created to believe in the unseen. That’s what Faith is, by the way.

It is simply believing as fact what you haven’t yet seen.

And you were given a measure of Faith when you were created. That’s what God’s Word says about every single one of us. [Romans 12:3]

As a young Christian in my twenties, I didn’t realize that. I didn’t understand what Faith was and I didn’t believe that I had much of it. I definitely felt more fear than Faith! But something changed…

Things got worse not better. In fact, many of my fears came to pass. And when I looked around at all of my options, I discovered many times that all I really had was my Faith. So I leaned in. I believed God for something better. I believed that I could be someone better. I held Him to His Word. I believed Him to be who He says He is.

And He was.

Since those early days of living out my Faith, I have had many, many more chances to believe God again and again. And do you know what? He has never let me down.

People have let me down.
I have let myself down.
But God has never failed me. Not once.

Not only has my Faith in God sheltered me in the storms of life, but it has also been the catalyst for finding my purpose and living my passion. God said my life had a greater purpose, I believed it, pursued it and I have begun living it.

That is why I am so passionate about FAITH. And it is why Faith is a foundation of my network for women called, The Fellowship of Extraordinary Women. I believe that Women of Faith are poised to make an even greater impact on this world because we are supposed to be taking our cues from the One who knows just what this world needs.

Would you say that your faith has poised you to make a significant impact on the world? Are you relying on your faith in God to lead you to your purpose and guide you to your unique contribution to the world?

If not, why not? If so, then AWESOME! Either way, I want to encourage you in your Faith with this – Extraordinary women move mountains by Faith.
faithmovesmountains
No matter where you are today, I urge you to BELIEVE God’s Promises for your life. If you don’t know what they are, then set your heart to find out. If you do know what they are, then cling to them like your life depends on it. And watch those mountains MOVE!