Clowns…for some people they create smiles, laughter and take them back to those fun childhood memories. Then you have the individuals who avoid clowns at all cost because they evoke fear, tears and maybe an occasional nightmare that more than likely stem from some freak childhood event.

It’s crazy how one thing can bring about such different emotions in people. Our perceptions that were created and sustained by past experiences are so vital to our now it’s ridiculous. We unknowingly carry so much of our past with us daily simply due to the fear of dealing with it. We avoid it just like those terrifying clowns. Maybe they will go away! But no, they come up over and over again, others might not know what’s going on but we do.  We work hard to avoid it causing us to miss out on certain opportunities, relationships etc while it simultaneously affects our mental, spiritual and physical health in a negative manner.

Today, I encourage you to take a step towards defeating your past clowns one by one (past abuse, violent relationships, lost relationship, lay offs, substance abuse, sin you are ashamed to speak of etc). Just as David did the lions, bears and Goliath, we too can conquer our clowns! (1Sam 17:35; 49) This 

The other day I decided to go to the beach to clear my mind and begin working on one of my projects. I spent a good 30mins listening to music and staring out at the water just admiring the peace and beauty of creation. Ok, and laughing at some of the foolish things people do on the shore. Comic relief is great for the soul. I was in an even better space than hours prior and expected nothing more from the interaction between the beach and I. But then I saw them, gangsta pelicans fighting over something in the water…  

Pelicans freak me out. Why are they so huge? I usually keep my distance because I don’t trust them so of course them acting up on the water grabbed my attention. A few seconds later I saw three awesome dolphins jumping through the water having what seemed like the greatest time ever. I cannot describe the excitement that I felt on the inside! As many times as I have been to the beach or been on boats I have never seen dolphins up close in their natural environment. 

For me the three dolphins represented freedom and served as a reminder that when I am able to look past my situations and admire the blessings I have already acquired, I will be able to catch glimpses of rare beauty that not everyone is privy to. 

I looked around at the other beach goers but no one was seeing what I saw. Well with the exception of a young man out on his kayak who did a hilarious initial check to make sure he wasn’t dealing with sharks. Everyone else was taking naps, pictures of themselves, or caught up in conversation. I even 

believe he brought me this far to leave me.” So don’t be discouraged when it gets a little tricky or difficult! 

We knew exactly where we were going, what to expect, and how long it would take but that didn’t make it easy. Sometimes it made it worse! Knowing the hills, or long stretches that take more work were coming up was very discouraging at times!

8. You have got to be kidding me with the detours!

You may think you know where you’re going until they set that big, bright orange detour sign out on 

I’d like to start by saying I love my bike! Anyways, in the beginning of January a friend and I started riding on the bike path from Manhattan Beach to Santa Monica, approximately 26/27 miles roundtrip.

The first time we cruised to Santa Monica in a little under two hours. Not so bad except for the fact we had to be back in Manhattan by 5pm. *Heavy sigh* we planned horribly! 5pm?! Yea, it was totally 3:45pm by the time we started heading back. Do you see the problem? So much for cruising home.

As we raced the clock and the sunset I had time to think. 1st thought—Why in the world did I work out before coming on this almost 30mile trek? The rest of my thoughts? Ok, since you asked:  

1. Lack of planning is downright stressful and can be a complete inconvenience

Nine times out of ten careless planning will negatively affect someone or something else as it did in our case. We knew it would take about four hours roundtrip but didn’t factor in time for rest, snacks, or crowds. At this point my friend was still renting her bike and we needed to be back before they closed the shop. From the moment we made it to Santa Monica we knew we didn’t have long. 

One thing I appreciate about being a child of God is that if we allow for it, there’s always growth, movement, and positive change. Once we think we’ve hit a certain level of awesomeness or even a brick wall, He opens another door and shows us brand new opportunities, visions, and dreams that are greater than we could ever imagine. It’s only a matter of walking into the new, which is often unknown and frankly, scary.

In the last two years my world has been flipped upside down with constant change. Some were easy to handle while others, eh not so much. As a creature of habit and one who does not always work well with drastic transitions it has been a serious adjustment. Walking by faith is no joke.

One thing I remember in vivid detail is praying for God to