Healthy Freedoms

Sums of life...

2010-08-06T10:06:00.002-05:00

"Life is the sum of our experiences"

A good friend told me that last nite & I have been thinking about it hard.
Sooooooooooo true & a very positive way to think. Not poor me, but lucky me!!

As always please keep in our prayers the men and woman of all armed forces protecting our Healthy Freedoms for us. May they someday soon have a healthy/safe return home.

Good night & God bless!!

Freedom is'nt free!!!

2010-04-26T07:33:00.004-05:00

Enjoy this link & remember that freedom is NEVER free!
A ton of sacrafice goes into allowing us our healthy/safe freedoms here in America.

http://media.causes.com/576542?p_id=92681239

As always remember to keep the men & woman of all branches of military in your prayers for a safe return.

"Who am I?"

2010-02-27T09:52:00.002-05:00

With the new year comes new ideas, new beginnings & possibly new challenges. For some of us we find ourselves standing & asking the infamous questions why,what,when,where,how & who. Why do I have to go through this? What am I supposed to learn from it? When will it end? Where is it suppose to take me? How will I get there & who am I when it is done? It is from the life experience that we learn the answers to all of these questions.

Psychologist Abraham Maslow said "it isn't normal to know what we want". And this is true for understanding why we go through all that we go through in life. I believe we stumble through life hoping for the best while doing our best & this is how we find what we truly desire. Opening & allowing ourselves to receive the lessons while on this journey. Life can be complicated, but happiness is really pretty simple.

We must surrender to our old ideas, wisely accommodating ourselves to what is beyond our control. Let go, acknowledge & embrace change. Its choice, not chance that determines our destiny. When we make a choice to surrender & embrace the change it is the that we are open for good things to come. I try to view everything that happens in my life; good bad or indifferent as a teachable moment. Sometimes in the winds of change is when we find our true direction.

A friend was sharing with me a story about her encounter with a hawk in a parking lot & how she stopped to carry on a conversation with this hawk. Strange as it may sound when someone researched what such an encounter may have meant, they found that a hawk is called a messenger, protector & visionary. A hawk comes to you indicating an awakening to your soul purpose, your reason for being there. It can teach you how to fly high while keeping yourself connected to the ground. Such as when we choose to surrender our ideas of how we thing things should be. The hawk teaches you to be observant & take a close look at your surroundings. Asking the infamous questions of why,what,when,where,how & who?! Getting a larger perspective on things, growing a keen eyesight allowing yourself to see things more clearly. Which in turn allows you to be more open to giving & receiving the good things life has to offer.
As the hawk circles over the earth, let it remind us that as we go stumbling through life remember to keep our eyes keen on seeing the teachable moments. Surrender to the things we have no control over & view things from a higher perspective. Hold on to the power withing yourself to overcome difficult situations. Look for the lessons in all life experiences no matter how big or small.
Don't let the idea of who you want to be, define the person you are. And the next time you ask "Who am I?" remember the answer is perhaps this: the very person who keeps asking the question!

Aim High

2010-02-13T16:05:00.003-05:00

"If you aim at nothing you will hit it every single time"
Zig Ziglar

Have you ever said "I will do that when..." & then "when" comes & you think of another "when"? I will go to college when my children get in high school, I will write that book when I get alittle free time, I will do that scrapbook when my children go to bed. I'm here to tell you first hand that "when" is another word for "excuse". It may be out of fear of the unknown or for some of us the fear of succeeding. I know for me it has alot to do with the fear of succeeding.

For many of us we have not been taught to chase after a dream or how to finish something we start. And much of that is due to our parents not being taught that themselves. Think about it; how can you teach something that you know nothing about? I blog to help inspire people, myself included. The post are about simple everyday common sense kind of things. It is a point of view, an opinion, a different way of looking at things and for me a sense of release.

Often times we hear you get what you desire if you do the leg work to achieve your desire. That you get what you put out to the universe & what you think usually will become you. It is so true you are what your around or think. For me before I moved out of state to a more positive environment with many more opportunities & much support I felt like I was dying. I would catch myself asking "is this all my life is about?" when inside I knew the answer was "NO". I had much to offer and still feel like there is much I need and want to accomplish. And believe that as long as I am chipping away at it little pieces at a time then I will achieve my goals. Not to mention teach my daughter what I was never taught. Go after what it is you desire, never give up on a dream & aim high!!

A famous preacher says you must believe that you deserve more & god will come through for you because he wants all his children to have a good life (Joel Olsteen). There are many times I have to remind myself of this, because again I was not taught this way of thinking. As a result of this, in my life I have had some very unhealthy relationships. Still to this very day I have to remind myself almost daily that I am a good person, I do deserve good things & to be happy. I am what you would call a work in progress. But have learned over the years to enjoy this healthy freedom called free will & remember to always aim at something rather than nothing!

It is when we don't learn from our mistakes that we continue to make them.

As I close please remember the men & woman of all branches of the military in your prayers as they defend us so that we may enjoy our freedoms.

Good night & God bless.

Do Good Show Love

2010-01-17T15:02:00.001-05:00

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.
Love the ones who don't just because you can.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Kiss slowly.
Forgive quickly.
God never said life would be easy.
He just promised it would be worth it.

Keep Moving!!

2009-12-30T21:23:00.004-05:00

As the end of the year comes to a close it leaves alot of us looking back over the past year & seeing what we may want to do differently in 2010. Is it go on a diet, quit smoking, getting out of an unhealthy relationship, learning to love yourself, appreciate what it is you have & not envy others that have more?! Whatever it is your thinking of changing or doing better just keep in mind it's not easy to change for the better. There will be trials along the way & people who will jump on your road to success trying to discourage you from moving forward in a positive manner. Keep moving! Learn to bob and weave around the road blocks. Duck and cover if you have to, but just keep moving!

Its when we push through the rough spots that we reap bigger rewards in the end. We will have a new found appreciation for different people, places and things. Not to mention a new appreciation of ourselves as well. That being the biggest reward of all. I once heard in a song "it is in our weakest moment when we find strength we never knew had..." in another verse it says "life has been patiently waiting for me..." How powerful is that? Life is sitting waiting on me to make up my mind what it is I want to do or be?!

No one is promised the next minute let alone the next day so we really should make the most of today, right now. Live as if this is your last moments on earth, around your loved ones. Ask yourself if right now was the end would you be ok with how things are? Would you look at how you treated people and say "yep I did good & showed love"? Would your loved ones know how much they mean to you? If right now you stood in front of God & he asked you "did you enjoy all that I gave you good & bad?" Would you be able to answer YES & mean it?! I know I could not & that is why I have to go back over some things and make some positive changes.

The bad times are as necessary as the good times or how else would we be able to appreciate the good. We have to dig deep down in our soul, spirit and our very being to find the courage and strength to rise above the bad; all the while knowing that the good is right over the crest.

As we think about the things that we are going to change this year, please remember the men and woman of all branches of the military as they fight for our healthy freedoms back here at home. So that they may one day soon have a safe return.

Good night & God Bless.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T22:18:00.003-05:00

To all my family and friends;
My wish for you this holiday season it that you get all that you want and deserve.

May you have a safe, happy and joyous Christmas.

Please remember those men and woman that are serving in the armed forces and wont be home this holiday season, in your prayers for a safe return soon.

Good night and God bless

"Letting go of Hanging On"

2009-11-21T13:53:00.002-05:00

It was a beautiful sunny mid August afternoon, when a group of us decided to go boating. Enjoying water sports & the good company of each other. Watching the others have so much fun skiing I decided to go ahead & give it a try. Now I've never been on skis before so needless to say I fell, but refused to let go of the handle allowing it to pull me under the water again & again & again. All I had to do was let go & let the life jacket hold me up until they could circle around to retrieve me. But I was to scared to do a simple thing as just letting go.

Isn't it funny how when something in life knocks us down we refuse to let go of the problem or situation much like the ski handle, causing us to get pulled down again & again & again. And all we have to do is let go of the situation & stay afloat as if we're wearing a life jacket. Trusting that our higher power will circle around & save us from any potential danger, just as our friends would on the boat. It is when we refuse to let go thinking we can do something to change the outcome if we just hang in there. That is when you put yourself in harm's way & that is when you will be pulled under repeatedly possibly drowning in the problem at hand.

Letting go & trusting in the unknown is a very scary thing, I know I've been there more time that I care to recollect. Let me share one of the big ones w/you. It was a Sunday & I had decided to go ahead w/my divorce & stay in the house we had bought. On Monday I had been let go from my job. Now I could of went home & acted out of fear & decided to stay in an unhealthy marriage, but I did not. I went thru w/the divorce trusting that something good was going to come out of all this. Scared? I was very scared of how I was going to make it. (All this being pre-Gabby) I had to ask myself "how bad do you want it?" , then made the decision to do what it took to get thru this challenging time. It was not easy & I was scared to death most of the journey but happy to report that all worked out & needs were met.

I choose to let go of the handle that was pulling me under, I choose to stay afloat & wait for my higher power to save me, I choose to enjoy the warm sunny days & cool breezes. And I hope you choose to do the same. I believe that when we are tested in life that is when we find our trues selves & what we are made of. It is in these times that we have to dig deep & look for solutions not hang onto the problem.

Going in to the holiday season let us remember the men & woman of all branches of the military in our prayers, that they may be kept safe & returned to their loved ones soon.

Good nite & God bless.

"It Is What It Is"

2009-10-15T21:42:00.002-05:00

Have you ever been through something in life & then sat back to ask the question "why is this happening to me again?" Well I have, to often. What it all comes down to is accepting the situation for what it really is. Just that. It's a situation and life is full of situations. Whether good, bad or indifferent they just are.

A couple of my friends and I were talking about different life situations when one of them said, "I was ok when I just accepted the fact that sometimes we have to be ok with not knowing why something happened." That was such a profound thought for me that I have not stop thinking about it for almost 3 weeks. Really think about that. If we can allow our self to be ok with "it is what it is" then life would flow much smoother for us and big things would be just as little as the little things. Worry and stress would be down and everything around us even relationships with others would be a whole lot sweeter. Not to mention your health will improve.

One of the biggest things I have learned so far in life is that we all play a part in things that happen both to us and sometimes around us. If we clear our minds of anger or sadness about the situation and with an open mind ask the question "what was my part in this?" I'm sure it will shock you to see that you did have a part to play whether it was a little part or the leading roll, it was a part played. From there you have a choice to make. Decide what can you do differently or just be more aware of it the next time a similar situation arises. Two things will come from this. One you will become a better more aware person & two you will start moving forward with a more positive outlook on things.

Now don't get me wrong there are those certain situations that come up and will test you to the core of your very being. Keep in mind that people are like pigeons and they will do what they do regardless of what you do. But stay strong and remember no matter what you've been through god loves you and is always there for you. It is us that chooses to move not him! In the end it is not going to matter what the situation was, it will however matter how you handled it.

As always please remember the men and woman of all branches of the military in your prayers that they may have a safe return home to their loved ones.

Good night and God Bless.

"Stepping Out"

2009-09-09T22:04:00.003-05:00

There is alot of truth to the theory of stepping outside of our comfort zone to either help another person or do something out of the norm for our self; it is then that we accomplish true achievement in personal satisfaction. Have you ever done something nice for someone just because you wanted to and then not told that person it was actually you? Have you ever pushed yourself to do something you really did not want to do, but knew that it was the right thing to do? And then stand back and said "that was not so bad." Now how did that feel?

Me personally I have found that some of the greatest rewards in life; have been when I push through even if its a painful but yet very necessary decision to be made about a situation. Or if I did not really feel like volunteering but went through with it anyhow and looked back and was glad that I did.

Some of the best things come out of our pain. God did not say anywhere, he would tell us everything we needed to know. However; he did say if we asked he would be there to guide us through all that life throws at us, all we have to do is ask. Now I'm not trying to sound all preachy because I promise you that as sure as I am sitting here typing this post I am in my head asking God to help me wake up tomorrow and look for his guidance and will for me, not Jen's will for Jen. LOL And I know this works from past experience's, I have seen it first hand.

Now get out of the way so that he can do his job and not how you see fit either. Step out of your comfort zone and do something uncomfortable but good today. You wont be sorry you did.

As always please remember the men and woman of all branches of service, so that they may return safely to their loved ones.

Good nite and God Bless

"Sack lunch for a solidier"

2009-08-25T22:10:00.002-05:00

This has a powerful "Pay it forward" message. ENJOY!!

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight.. I'm glad I have a good book to read, perhaps I will get a short nap, I thought. Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.
After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time. As I reached for my wallet, I overheard soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait till we get to base, his friend agreed. I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty dollar bill. 'Take a lunch to all those soldiers.' She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. 'My son was a soldier in Iraq ; it's almost like you are doing it for him.' Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, 'Which do you like best - beef or chicken?' 'Chicken,' I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class. This is your thanks. After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. A man stopped me. 'I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.' He handed me twenty-five dollars.
Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked, I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, 'I want to shake your hand..' Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, 'I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.' I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers. Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm. When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!
Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base. I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. 'It will take you some time to reach the base. It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You. Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little...
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to, The United States of America for an amount of and up to and including my life. That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

F.E.A.R.

2009-08-18T22:07:00.002-05:00

FEAR= Frustration, Ego, Anger and Resentment.

I read that & had to blog about this subject, because to me this is something that so many of us deal with but yet are in denial about. Why is that? Well for me it is because all my life I have been put in or put myself in situations that cause me to be the strong one, the one that everyone can count on to be upbeat & positive. The one to always be able to hold it together no matter what is going on. When the truth of the matter is I was acting out of fear!!

Afraid that if I did not act on these situations, that people would not like me or that people would fall apart if they did not have a go to person in their life. And really what was I thinking? That I am all knowing & all powerful that if "I" did not help them their lives would fall apart. Come on now if that is not a EGO then I don't know what is. When in all reality I needed them to help me believe I was going to be ok!

It was once explained to me that there are healthy fears & unhealthy fears we need to pay attention to. For example a healthy fear is crossing a busy intersection & afraid you might get hit by an automobile. An unhealthy fear is thinking someone is going to screw you over & they have done nothing wrong. The latter of these WILL come to pass as long as we are looking for it to; its called self-sabotage. And that is just as unhealthy as living a fear driven life.

My problem was that I never thought I was as worthy of receiving the same love & support as I gave to others. I always held on to the idea that my life was not as bad as everyone else's. And to some extent that was true. What is not true, is that I did not deserve the same that I gave. We are all deserving children of God, we all deserve good things & to be treated with love & respect. But we must demand it from others. Now I'm not saying to go up to someone & start shaking them demanding respect & love. What I am saying is to dig deep in your self & find some self respect & self love. Because the bottom line is how can you demand something you don't believe to be of yourself to begin with?!

This will relieve a lot of the anxiety & resentment that can come from false expectations of another. And trust me it is alot less frustrating when we allow people to just be who they are. Remember that we are ALL works in progress & that it took us this many years to become the way we are & it will take you that amount of time or more to be the person you want to be. Talk to yourself in the mirror as you would a dear friend or family member that was going through the same thing. Be good to yourself, love yourself & most importantly respect yourself!!

As I close please remember the men & woman of all branches of military as they fight for our Healthy Freedoms here at home. That they may have a save return someday soon.

Good night & God bless!!

"DESIRE"

2009-07-07T21:26:00.002-05:00

“Out of need springs desire, and out of desire springs the energy and the will to win." Denis Waitley

This quote struck me pretty strongly & got me to thinking. Does need spring desire or dose desire spring need? I know there are things that I desire to have in life that are just out of wanting to have nice things. Not so much that its a need but a want. It has been said that you cant expect good things from God if you don't ask for them. I always thought that God would just give us the desires of our heart and it was greedy for me to ask for more. Karma would take care of the rest. If you do good and show love then good & love would surely be given. Or so I thought! What I have learned is that as long as I only have expectations on how I need to treat people and not worry about all the drama around me, then my world "IS" filled with love and good. Not consumed by unnecessary worry, pity or "poor me" parties.

If you want or desire something you have to dig deep, find the drive to achieve such things and in turn God will give you the energy and the will to acquire such desires. You also have to believe with your whole being that you deserve it as well. Not just part of you but ALL of you. I write this and think of my own fears that block me from achieving my true desires of the heart. So this is not meant to sound like I have this down or read as if I think I'm all that. What this is meant to do is let other people know that its OK to be human & afraid of the unknown. Just don't let it cripple you!

Pick one small desire turn it into a need and watch the energy you will find to make it a win!!

Please remember to keep the men & woman of the armed forces in your prayers, so that they may be reunited with their loved ones soon.

Good nite and God bless.

"Let go & Let God"

2009-06-22T22:27:00.002-05:00

"I do not need to know exactly how to let go of my resentments or what will happen after I do. I simply must be ready to let them go."

We must trust in our higher power that he can & will take care of us. It is when I do this that things start to get better for me.

It was once explained to me like this. If you were water skiing & fell down but would not let go of the rope you would be pulled under the water again and again and again. Eventually you would let go. Wouldn't you? One would hope so. Now I don't know about you but I'm the type of person that has to be pulled under the water a few times before I realize that it's as simple as just "letting go"!

As you go about your day, please remember to keep the men and woman of all branches of the military in your prayers for a safe return to their loved ones.

Good night & God Bless.

Things that make you go HMMMM

2009-06-07T21:19:00.001-05:00

Here is some more food for thought...

"God doesn't give you the people you want, He gives you the people youNEED. To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be."

Think about all the good that came out of something bad. It's there we just have to dig deep to find it.

Good night & God bless!

I Hope You Dance

2009-06-03T21:37:00.002-05:00

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

This is so true & appropriate for my day today. In the midst of the storm is when we need to dig deep & look for all our blessings. Whether big or small we all have at least 5 things we are blessed with or by everyday. Dig deep and I promise you will find them.

Don't let the situation or person/s define your mood. Rise above it to find the song in your heart that makes you want to dance through adversity. I cant dance or sing so when I do this I cause the people around me to laugh. Which if you think about it serves 2 purposes; 1)you forget about what it is that is causing your storm & 2)you may have just helped someone else forget about theirs.

Just as the song goes, "I hope you dance". Try it sometime. I have & it was so much fun!!

Please remember to keep our men & woman of all branches of the military in your prayers for a safe return to their loved ones.

Good night & God bless.

REMEBER OUR MILITARY

2009-05-24T20:44:00.003-05:00

As we go about our day to our cookouts let us remember the men & woman of ALL branches of the armed forces. Remember that in one form or another they are laying down their lives for us; in efforts to keep all of us safe from the people that despise us and our freedoms! Whether it be their time away from family or the ultimate sacrifice of life.
Remember that it is the little things like a barbecue or friendly game of softball that we get to partake in that they may not. Remember that it is the little things like fresh cut grass that we get to smell as we enjoy the company of friends & family that they don't.
Remember that we get to hold our little ones & shower them with kisses & hugs that the men & woman of our military do not get to enjoy today. Remember that it is because of these men & woman that we get to enjoy the Healthy Freedoms of home that they miss out on.
Remember to say a prayer for all of them in that they may have a safe return and get a chance to enjoy all that they helped to protect!!
It is with GREAT pride that I post this today as some of you know my brother is one of those great soldiers that I write about.
Good night & God bless all of you.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

2009-05-10T20:44:00.002-05:00

To all my mothers out there & that includes you men as well!! I hope you ALL had a blessed day & remembered to focus on what is truly important & let go of the petty things that eat at our spirit. I for one had a 2yr old (Gabby) reminder all day today of what was important. Amazing how God sends us little reminders in all sizes of packages. It seemed like whenever I would let a situation annoy me today Gabby would look at me in that moment & give me a kiss & a hug & tell me "I love you mommy". I am a lucky girl to have such a beautiful little blessing like my girl!

Happy mothers day to you all.

Please keep our service men & woman in your thoughts & prayers for a safe return to their families someday soon.

God Bless.

"CANT" part 2

2009-04-23T21:59:00.002-05:00

Due to technical difficulties you may have been unable to access the link. So here it is from You Tube.
Sorry about that & again; Enjoy!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnLVRQCjh8c

This is amazing inspiration when you put your mind to overcoming defeat.

"A man only fails when he has stopped trying"

"CAN'T" is not an option!!

2009-04-23T20:23:00.002-05:00

So many times we get on our pity pots & the wooooo is me syndrome kicks in after something in our lives happens that we don't like or agree with. Truth of the matter is this; we are all just here for a temporary moment in time. Now we can either sit on the pity pot & whine about how life is not fair & how someone or something did not go/do as you wanted. Or you can get up of your rumpus & let it motivate you into doing what is truly in your heart to do. After all who wants to sit on the pot to long anyhow it is known to cause serious rings on your bottom!!
Those of you that know me know that it is with my deepest passion to make the most of life while I am here & that is why I do what I do. I have made a "choice" to let my circumstances motivate me not paralyze me! Can't is not an option for this lady.

amazingdance.wmv (5346KB)

After watching this video I thought to myself; "there is no accomplishment out of reach if we will do just that; reach for one!!"

Please remember the men & woman from all branches of the military as they do what they do for us so that we may live with the Healthy Freedoms we have all come to love. Keep them in your prayers for a safe return to their loved ones soon.

Enjoy & God Bless.

"ARE YOU TRUELY LIVING"

2009-04-12T13:02:00.002-05:00

This was the question today in church. We all know that we are alive but are we truly living? Are we living life to our fullest potential? Are we 100% happy with where we are or do we secretly wish that we were some where else in life? I for one can tell you that I am just OK with where I'm at in life, but I'm more excited about where I'm going in life that drives me.
See right now at this point in time of my life there are all kinds of balls in the air that are all full of wonderful potential. And in just the blink of an eye they can all fall out of the sky & disappear without a trace. It is my job to grab them & make the most of them. Now granted some of them are out of my control as to what may come but then there is alot that I can take ownership of. Meaning that if I want something I need to go after it with everything I have. Those of you that know me & know me well enough; know that I always say God will help those who want to be helped he is not going to just show up at my door & go "look what I have for you". See I am one of those people that believe that God will help us get to where we want to be if & when we ask for his guidance & I'm not talking one of those half hearted attempts either. Believe me I know alittle something about half hearted attempts!! I have done them & been on the receiving end of them. You get no where fast people I'm here to tell you!!
Here is how I see it; with the help of alot of tools I allow myself to use. Who needs craftsman?! LOL Anyhow I see it like this. If we don't set our minds or purposely focus our thoughts & energy on being a person of purpose; then we will ultimately be tossed around & distracted by every situation in we encounter in life. Good and Bad! Think about this for a moment if you will. If you allow your circumstances to control you, then there will always be some reason to be discouraged or you can turn your thoughts around into thinking positive & undefeated thoughts. After all it is sooooo true that all negatives do have a positive.
Let me show you! I recently went through the break up of my family, the family that I did not think I was ever going to have. God answered my prayers & gave me a beautiful daughter. The same daughter that is my drive in life to keep going so that I can show her how to over come with grace & dignity. Some of you are probably going "alright Jen where are you going with this?". My point is this; God had me go through the break up of my family to show me that I have the strength to over come this & get on the other side of it stronger & better off then I was. I'm here to tell you all that the positive in this negative is that alot of really good things have come from this experience & alot of really good people are flying into my life. Sometimes quicker then I can keep up & for that I'm eternally grateful!
As we go about our days trying to live life on life's terms remember that it helps a GREAT deal to step outside of our boxes & help another person be their best! Trust me I've done it. Imagine if we all just did 1 or 2 things to help someone else each day what this world could & would become. WOW looks pretty promising from where I sit.
So I ask you all this. On a scale of 1-5 where are you at when it comes to living your life to its fullest potential? I know I have work to do. Do you?! Lets all try making some healthy choices to allow a life of Healthy Freedoms for one & all that come in contact with us.
As always please remember the men & woman of our military that put their lives on the line for us on a daily basis so that we may remain safe at home.
God Bless you all & keep you safe.

WOUNDS & REVELATIONS

2009-03-18T21:39:00.003-05:00

There are all kinds of things I want to post but not a lot of time these days. I promise to those of you that look forward to this I will do my best to post at least every other week.

Now down to business. Who would of thought that lyrics from a metal song would be the inspiration for today's post. Well it is & the lyrics were as such; "wounds can reveal to us..." that is all that had to be said & a light bulb went off in my head. See we allow our self to become very angry in situations that do not go as we had hoped or planned. When instead what we should be doing is looking for the blessing that comes from such events. The song goes on to say "hate me if it makes you feel better..." And when I felt that towards the people that had done me wrong it never made me feel any better. In fact it made me that much madder at the situation because now I was allowing it to control & consume me. This is not how I want to live my life nor is it how I want to teach my daughter to live her life either.

I had went through alot of pretty sticky & quite honestly sucky things in life, but when I allowed myself to stop feeling the pain of the situation & starting looking for the positives that come from such an experience I was actually grateful for the opportunity. Its like sitting in an AA/Alanon combined meeting & people say I'm grateful for my alcoholic. Meaning they are grateful for the experience because now they have a positive, hopeful out look to pass on to someone else.
I am a firm believer that we all go through things in life to share with others. Am I the only one it bothers when people say to you "I understand..." when they have no clue what you are going through?! I am a show me don't tell me kind of girl, so you better really know what your talking about or your no better then the other liars in the world. I would rather someone tell me the truth even if its not what I want to hear versus being lied to no matter how big or small the lie is.

Like they say the only thing that is constant is change & whether the change is welcome or not, we must respond to it. Our main choice is not what will change but how we respond to the change. I promise if you make peace with the change that takes place you will grow, you will come out a bigger better person. One of Paul Harvey's (rest in peace) favorite authors wrote this: " hope you learn humility by being humiliated and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I wish for you tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life." written by Lee Pitts.

I was given the privilege to attend a 7 habits seminar & the main thing that stuck out is that we should live as though we have a camera taped to our shoulder & the world is always watching what we do & how we act. Is how your living life something you would be proud of letting the world see?

That my friends is what I got out of those 5 little words "wounds can reveal to us..." and it is my wish for you that you got something out of this blog to help you go on in trying times.

Please remember to keep our men & woman of the armed forces in your thoughts & prayers for a safe return to their loved ones.

Good night & God Bless. Or as Paul Harvey would of ended; and that is the rest of the story.

CELEBRATE BEING DIFFERENT...

2009-02-22T22:47:00.002-05:00

A dear friend of mine asked me to part take in celebrating black history month with her & some of our closest friends. OK it was a whole church full of friends. I have to say this was a first for me, I've never been given that opportunity let alone asked to be a part of any black history celebration. I was asked to write & deliver a speech on "United we stand; Divided we fall"
On my way home tonight it dawned on me as it does so many times that I am one very lucky & blessed woman. I have so many people that love me & want to help me succeed & all I have to do was just be me.
So family I would like to share with you a little part of what I read today in my small part of the black history celebration.

First off a quote by the late great Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?"

I believe that the best is when we share our heritage with others whether they are like us or different. When I get back to South Bend every other weekend I attend a wonderful church called "Faith Temple" & they have always made me feel very welcome. This is where I was able to be a part of the celebration. The church not only tries to do good for the sake of the community but they invest alot of time & energy on the youth who attend. They show the youth there is more to life then the streets & that not all people judge them. This is what they do for others. As the great Rev. once asked.

In the bible Ecc. 4:10 states this; "If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls & has no one to help him up." Notice it does not say anything about the color of ones skin, rather just being ones friend. The one thing that people compliment me on is the ability to be who I am & be it with a big heart. I don't look at people for what they have or don't have. Because we all have a story & one thing I have learned over the years is that things are not always what they appear; not necessarily in a bad way either.

Another quote by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "I have a dream that my children will one day not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

My dear friend Pat that asked me to be a part of her celebration walks the talk! She does not get sucked into the every day gossip or chaos of the world; she stays focused on what it takes to live right. She does this with grace, dignity, leaning on God & her friends to get through bumps in life. Bumps that we all experience from time to time. This is a great display of character!

President Obama was quoted as saying; that we must push pass the racial division that has been simmering for centuries in this country. I agree!! There are some pretty wonderful people of all walks of life, nationality & of different races. God sees all of us as equal, he does not love one more because they are lighter or darker but because we are all his children & he loves all of us the same.
When we are pointing the finger & passing judgement on others we have to remember that there are 3 more pointing back at our self. So who are we really judging then?
So here is what I get out of all this. When we clasp hands & stand as one this is when barriers get broken, mountains get moved & 2 become 1. That my family is when harmonious solidarity happens!! It is when the chain of unity is broken that we then fall divided. Not a Healthy Freedom I'm willing to sacrifice are you?!
Please remember to keep our men & woman of the military in your prayers for a safe return to their loved ones.
God bless you & keep you safe.

Gods Little Angel

2009-02-09T22:33:00.002-05:00

It is with great sadness that I post this today family. On Friday Feb. 6,2009 we lost a dear friend, Mrs. Judy Mitchell. She went home to be with God & her family that has already passed including a dear friend of mine, her son Brian S. after a 13yr battle with ovarian cancer.

Let me tell you about my little angel.

She was so loved by so many people. Anyone that met Judy loved her. She was the face of hope. She was the face of determination. She was one of my inspirations. She was ALWAYS there for anyone that needed her. She helped alot of people over come a lot of hard times. My little Judy taught me a lot about being kind to another in need & how to get out of self to help another. We use to joke about the school of Judy when it came to putting on a function. She always gave 110% of herself and never anything less than that.

Someone recently sent me this read and it made me think of Judy right away. This is so very simple and wraps up Judy for many of us. You see I call her "my little angel" but truth of the matter is she is alot of peoples little angel.

Hope you enjoy this read called "When you thought I wasn't looking"

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in him.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take meal to a friend who was sick and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you give your time to help people who had nothings and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of everyone in your life and I learned that we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt but its all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

You fought a very courageous fight. May you rest in eternal peace now.

Thank you "our" little angel.

Good night and God bless.

"Be'fe Noir"

2009-02-04T14:31:00.002-05:00

It has been brought to my attention just how much work I have ahead of me to repair something broken.
My spirit! Ok maybe just bruised for a moment and bruises heal just as I will. Lets face it there are people in the world that claim they stand for something different then what their actions display. We then are left holding the bag of; I should of or I could of maybe if... You see where I'm going with this?! Why is it that we allow people to steal our joy or rent space in our head, when the only one it ultimately hurts is our self and the ones directly around us.

That is my Be'fe Noir or Black Beast (meaning in French).

I'm not looking for any kind of pity out of this piece. What I'm trying to demonstrate is that we are ALL just human beings with a funny thing called feelings. And from time to time we all can relate to getting them stepped on or hurt. For me its hurts the worst when I know that I have done almost everything I could, yet still get accused of not doing enough. When in my heart, gut and conscious I know the truth. Life is full of things that will try to hold us down, but it is our responsibility to hold one another up when needed! To remind each other that what people say or do DOES NOT have to define who we are! To be reminded these trials will show our faith as being real. I know that God always rescues me, pulls me along and calms me down. When I let him! He is always by my side, I am never alone.

See folks I'm just a human being and just because I have a blog that I try to keep up beat, positive and inspiring does not mean that makes me exclusive to having bad days. While I try to inspire all of you it also keeps me grounded and better able to stay focused on what my passion is. Helping people with their Healthy Freedoms to be inspired to take the steps in getting what they desire. I am a person that is more inspired by some one who lets me see the real side of them; good or bad. Therefore; I'm not afraid to show you who I am and be open to receiving constructive criticism to become a person of my full potential.

Isn't it funny how we are more loving with our friends and family when they need us then we are with ourselves. Psychologists Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey say that we beat ourselves up over lack of willpower, laziness and weakness amongst other things for a good reason. It is a protection of something with an underlying problem caused by anxiety. One of the most important, least understood & very private emotions that some people suffer with. Lahey says "we all have anxiety, just by virtue of being human." Well that makes me feel better already. :) They both continue to add that this is a condition specific but not isolated to people who were traumatized as children or survived some harrowing event. Now don't read that and justify having a reason to be the way you are, instead look at it like this. We have 2 choices. You can greet each day afraid of all things we have no control over nor can control, or we can greet each day being open to whatever might be around the bend for us. I don't know about you but I want to be open to whatever it is that our higher power (I call God) has in store for me.
A change in perspective is often the most powerful and positive way to make a healthy change. Funny that when in times of difficulty, it is then we find our strengths and hidden talents. So open up to whatever undiscovered joys may be out there waiting to cross paths with you on your journey in life. I dare you!

Our best life's are waiting to unfold. If a dream dies, dream another dream and remember that God has a purpose for all of us--stay strong, keep hoping and keep believing in whatever keeps you going.

Please keep our service men and woman in your prayers so that they may be returned to us safely.

Good night family & God Bless.

"GET UP"

2009-01-28T11:39:00.002-05:00

After you watch this short & powerfull clip ask yourself what exactly it is that has you feeling sorry for yourself. If this does not make you stop and think then I dont know what will.

http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html

Keep on Keeping on family!!

Need I say more after this video?

Please keep the men,woman and families of the military in your prayers for safe returns.
God Bless you and keep you safe.

"LETS MAKE HISTORY TOGETHER"

2009-01-20T10:35:00.005-05:00

I was watching television last night while trying to wind down from the craziness of the day & it hit me. WOW history is being made & good things are on the rise. Those of you that know me know that I'm a not a political person I don't take sides. It is my believe that it should be "For the people by the people" & not all this fighting & blaming that goes on. With that being said let me remind you this blog is of opinion and we all have our opinions. After all that is what makes us different. As I watch all the hoopla on TV about our new president & how history is being made I listen to all the hope that people are expressing in this changing of the guard if you will. I cant help but to be inspired with everyone else. We must push past our differences and all the negativity that is in this world. I for one believe that this world can be restored if everyone would just do their part.
Ponder this for a moment. If each of us just helped 5 people to find some thing to be positive about or took those 5 people and looked to see where you could be a blessing in their life's; then those 5 people will in turn help someone & then look what happens. The world starts to be reborn!! Change starts within ones being, negativity starts to dissipate and hope is recharged. You start to see things with freshness and a sense of newness to them. We heal ourselves while offering attention to another who is put on our path. Trust me I have been given that wonderful opportunity in life & there is no drug that can compare!
Remember that there are alot of people going through some extremely rough times right now. And at 1st people may not be receptive to the gesture so don't give up. Our emotions are controlled by our circumstances most of the time. So if we can control our emotions and how we react then God will be by our side to help us help others. After all; he is trying to help us fight our battles. When we let him. I also believe that God wants us to have an abundance of good. So why not help others the same way he wants to help us. Sounds like a win win to me!
We don't have to be an American president to make the world a better place or to make history or cause a wave of good change to happen. All we need is help to jump start the inspiration that is already in each of us. Don't be afraid to move forward with what feels good about doing for others rather let yourself be moved forward. Lets make history together and help one another to find the HEALTHY FREEDOMS that lay in each of us, so that they may come to the surface and be allowed to make a difference in someones life.
Now I could be way off on this one or maybe I am just so filled with hope for the future that maybe just maybe if we all try this theory of mine we may get to experience history from our doings not our watching from the sideline. I dare you to try it!!
As I close please remember to say a special prayer so that our men & woman of the military are kept safe so they can be reunited with their families one day soon.
God Bless and keep you all safe.

"WARMER/COLDER"

2009-01-13T15:45:00.004-05:00

As we head into the new year with new ideas, new situations or just new circumstances in general no matter how big or small; and hopefully we are all going into it with a renewed spirit for nothing but good things ahead of us! Lets head into it with a positive attitude & throw away the set up for disappointment called a "resolution". Not to many of us stick to them anyhow. I believe if you go into the year with positive ideas and a goal list of things you would like to accomplish instead of a have to resolution list you are more likely to succeed. Let me explain. We are our own worst critics I know this from experience. We get so caught up in things that we forget to forgive ourselves for a mistake we may have made along the way. If you make a "Would like to accomplish list" instead of a "Have to list" then you wont be as upset if you can only scratch 7 out of 10 items off the list. Life happens & sometimes we cant help what happens around us or to us. Now I'm not saying that to allow you an excuse for not doing anything. I'm just giving you permission to not be so hard on yourself! God has lots of promises and opportunities in store for us. He wants to give you enough to bless other people that may come in your life.
A person can not expect to stay focused on the defeat and think they will be able to move forward. After all we are masters of our own fate! And isn't it funny how many times we have talked ourselves out of a good thing, because we are so afraid? Or how many times we have overwhelmed our self with things to do, so that we wont be forced to look at our fears. I read this profound statement in a magazine and I cant help but to share it because it is sooooooo true, it reads: "All the commotion that goes with reinventing myself might just be a distraction from my greatest fear: failure!" WOW That really stuck out to me because I am so afraid of failure that I never even thought about the possibility of success. I'm sure that comes from old behavior & old situations in the past that have knocked me down. But I can not and will not focus on that I must focus on moving forward in a positive mind frame.
Do you remember when you were little playing the game; "your getting warmer/colder"? I seen an article that spoke about using this game to guide ones intuition otherwise known as your gut instinct. We have all been through a situation I'm sure (if your being honest) where we have ignored that little voice that comes from our gut telling us not to do something. If you are a person that struggles with listening to your gut instinct try this instead. Make a list and break it down into components as to which feels warm or cold, good and bad will work as well. And remember to be 100% honest with your feelings on the matter while doing this. The paper wont justify if you wont either!!
Make a choice for your life based on what makes you feel freer and happier, rather than on how you think an ideal life should look. Try to live a life based on Healthy Freedoms for your life and only your life not someone elses. Things are not always what they appear and one may be very unhappy on the inside. Life is a process as well as a journey lets have fun along the way no regrets!!
As I close please keep our soldiers everywhere in your thoughts and your prayers for safe returns to their loved ones.
Good night and God Bless.

"The Come Back"

2009-01-03T12:27:00.002-05:00

Well the new year has come whether we wanted it to or not. I personally am glad that 2008 is behind me. My belly is full of excitement with all that is about to come for me & my beautiful daughter in 2009. I just have to stay focused and not allow disappointment in or about people or situations to discourage me. I'm sure that for many of us that is easier said then done!
Life is full of things that are set in our way to try and hold us down. Disappointments and setbacks. It's so easy to get discouraged, lose your enthusiasm or even be tempted to just settle for where you are in life when this happens. It is especially hard in this day and age when people are losing their jobs, houses and even their relationships. We just can not allow ourselves to get sucked in to settling for any less then we deserve. I have an opinion about what some people deserve! However this is to be an upbeat post & lets face it I'm not God. :)
Know that every time adversity comes against us, its a setup for a comeback!!
Think back to a time when something hurt or scared you so badly that you did not feel you had it in you to keep going. But you found something drudged up in your inner being that said "you can and you will go through this and you will be better for it". I've personally gone through more than I care to but lets hope that is behind me. I'm tired of settling because I think I see potential in someone or a situation just to be the one holding onto a resentment. I want to and can be a better person. Today is another day to learn how to be more serene how to nurture our body and our spirit. After all folks we have the tools in our tool belt we just have to make a choice to take them out and use them for rebuilding.
Bottom line is that if it does not set well with your gut instinct then don't proceed. And that goes for anything in life! This should be a time to reflect back on the year and see our growth, an old habit we were able to break or maybe we are in the process of overcoming something that has happened to us. No matter what it is look and find something about last year that you can use for a positive direction in to the new year. Remember that as long as we are alive we will ALWAYS wrestle with questions, seek answers and try to solve problems. We CAN do this with grace and we MUST do this with gentleness towards ourselves and others around us.
Hold on to your higher power no matter what that may be. My higher power happens to be God. I understand that some people may call their higher power something else so please don't let my view offend you.
If you stay in faith, your higher power will turn what was meant to be a stumbling block into a stepping stone and you will move forward as a better person. And the reward will be so much better then you could ever expect. I know from my own personal experience that when I completely not partially but completely get out of Gods way to do his plan in my life I'm so much happier & more fulfilled then I could of ever imagined. So then why should I be so afraid of what is to come?!
Time is a circle just as the months in our calendar. As it is said in a Chinese Proverb: "Be not afraid of changing slowly; be afraid only of standing still". Let this year be your year for a Healthy Freedom COMEBACK. Don't beat yourself up for making baby steps, only be mad for making no steps.
As I close please remember to keep our men and woman of the service, in your prayers for a safe return to their loved ones soon.
Good night & God bless!

"Never Give Up"

2008-12-18T13:04:00.002-05:00

These days that is so much easier said then done because of various reasons in each of our lives. I'm here to share something that has happened in my life that has inspired me to do just that, NOT GIVE UP!!
Sunday I was sitting in church (something I try to do regularly for myself) & the pastor recognized me for something I had done once out of kindness for another person. I did this particular thing because that is what people are to do. A friend of mine was going thru a really bad time seeing how she had to bury her mother/best friend & I just assisted her with getting a project done so that she could focus on what was important right then and there. I did not see it as being much of anything other then "doing unto others..." However the people that were involved have seen it to be a huge gesture of kindness. Ok with that being said, the pastor proceeded to say he was going to ask God for whatever is in my heart that it may come to pass for me. I thought to myself that was so nice he was going to talk to the big man on my behalf, little did I know it was going to be right there with the whole church. A particular person pulled me to the side & went on to say how he had seen an Ora around me & how he had asked God what this was about. God apparently told this man that he (God) had wonderful things in store for me & that he had seen what I was trying to do & honored that. And then the pastor came up to me & said I needed to be watching for whatever it was God was going to bring to me. I recently have gotten back into the church after being burnt, judged & let down by ALOT of people who claim to be Christians. I'm trying to do it for the right reasons not because someone is making me; but so that I can be a better mother & person in general. And this has been hard for me. I have to remember that they are people such as birds are birds. And if I sit on a park bench and a bird does what a bird does then I can't get mad or I can simply try another bench!!!
After this experience I went on about my business & thinking to myself "that is what good Christians are to do and say". So I did not put alot of stock into it. I'm just being honest because that's what good people do as well!! I'm here to tell you that it has not even been one week since all this has happened & those of you that know me well; know that I am a person that looks for signs that something is good or meant to be or not. I have been getting emails from people that want to help me accomplish my goal in helping other people be their best or at least help them find what their best is. And along the way it helps to make me that much of a better person. Because lets face it I'm a show me kind of girl, so I better be living what I'm telling. I've been getting daily readings that help to inspire me to keep going & never give up. One of which said when I feel discouraged or overwhelmed I have to stir up what God has put inside of me & I have everything I need to succeed. This is so true!! I remember asking a group of woman one time, "why is it that we have so many walls to run into when we are trying to do the next right thing?" And the answer was; sometimes God puts walls up for us to get thru to see how bad we want some thing. When I got done feeling sorry for myself I thought that makes sense. Think about it. You hear famous people say all the time "If you want something bad enough you can set your mind to it & accomplish it". So maybe, just maybe God wants to see if we are willing to apply the cost of getting something we claim to truly want, rather just the lip service part of it.
See in my opinion & its just that an opinion, I believe that God puts people & situations in our lives so that we may come out of it on top & where he has meant for us to be. I don't believe that all things we view to be horrible or just bad are meant for that purpose. I also believe that is when the devil is in his prime to attack us. When we are at our weakest moments.
Now I'm not anything other then just a regular person trying to do good & show love. Learning how to do it the right way along the way with the Freedom to make Healthy choices that all of us have at our disposal. I look at these to be affirmations from God that we're doing the next right thing & he is pleased. I have also learned from this experience that settling is no longer an option! Whether it be in a relationship (all kinds) or whatever it is we may want to accomplish in life. My goal is that I want to raise the bar, show my daughter and all of you to not be afraid, go after your dreams no matter what people do or say to you. Remember they are like birds & will act as such!! Never give up, find a postitive in what it is your going thru & remember there is ALWAYS someone worst off then you.
I love music and how it inspires me. So if I may let me give you something to hang on to even if you get nothing else out of this article. Having hope for yourself & others is like having a melody inside of us. Let your melody sing to you!
While enjoying your friends & family this holiday season, please keep our men & woman of the military in your prayers for a safe return to their loved ones some day soon.

"The Little Things"

2008-12-07T21:45:00.002-05:00

Today I had an aha moment while in church. See as I sat there waiting for service to start I was thinking about what it was I was going to blog about & then it hit me "The Little Things". Today's message in church was about simplicity & I thought to myself, this is exactly what God wanted me to blog about. The pastor was delivering his message about how we always want more in life, when in fact God wants us to live a life of simplicity.
See we as human beings think that we always need "more" verses living with what we already have right in front of us. When in actuality the little things are what makes us the happiest, when allowed! We think that we have to want more in order to get more when what happens is that we loose the importance of just that. What is really important in life. Think about it; if you were to die was it that important the dishes did not get done or the emails did not get updated?
Or would you regret not spending those last minutes with our loved ones & all their beauty?!
I try to live a simplistic life and those of you that know me know this to be true. Some view this as being negative when in fact its my way of trying to focus on whats important to me. See for me it can be a little thing such as a soft whisper of "I love you", or a crazy sloppy kiss from my beautiful daughter (she will be 2 on Christmas day), a simple "nice to see you again" from someone that has only met you once before. Or when you don't think people appreciate when you are trying to do something good says to you "oh by the way I like what you had to say on..." it does not take much to let someone know how important they or what they are trying to do is. Send a sweet email, leave a nice note or call someone & leave a voice mail. So that you don't have any regrets and those of importance to you will know.
When I got home from church today I decided to research alittle bit about what the word simplicity means & this is what I found. Simplicity often connotes or expresses beauty, the quality of being simple, freedom from being difficult. See people tend to complicate things and make them more difficult then something truly is in an attempt to avoid facing what the real issue may be. I believe this is why some people tend to stay so busy that they don't know how to enjoy the little things in life. I was always so wrapped up in helping other people fix there problems so I did not have to look at my own. Then one day God took that from me & told me through a friend that maybe it was time I started looking at my own issues. That was a few 24 hours ago in what I believe to be preparation for problems to come.
As I embark on another part of my journey and struggle with some of my own trying times from recent life changes. Wasting time trying to make sense of why things happened. I have to remember that it is just that a waste of time! Because the only one that can or will make sense of this is God & that all I can do is control the control ables. My daughter is a dream come true for me something that I did not think was possible. When I watch her & partake in playtime it is then that I'm reminded on a daily basis to slow down & remember what is truly important, "The Little Things".
Slow down enjoy the simplistic beauty that surrounds you & is free for us to drink in. See folks none of us are promised tomorrow or even the rest of the day so live like its your last & with no regrets.
As always please keep the men & woman of the service in your prayers so that while they are over fighting a war for our Healthy Freedoms that they are kept safe for their return to us someday soon.
Embrace your journey & enjoy the little things!!

"Motivation"

2008-11-19T10:13:00.002-05:00

There are different things in life that can motivate us. It may be that someone loves us so much that motivates us to do great things in life. It may be our children that motivate us to do good for the sake of their little lives that we hold so dear in our hearts. Believe it or not it may just be an ugly experience in life such as the break up of a family. I know your thinking "Jen how can that motivate us?"
Let me explain... I recently went through a break up of my family. I invested everything I had in to this relationship. Made sacrifices that some of my family members were mad about. But I did that because I wanted something I did not have as a child, a close family. Don't get me wrong my family may not be as close as I necessarily want; but if something happens to one of us we rally together for one another. See I have been so busy chasing after what "I" thought would make me happy, that I never allowed myself to ask "what motivates you?". Going through this break up has caused me a great deal of anger and pain. Pain for both myself and the children. Then one day while talking to a great friend, I said "will this anger ever go away?" and he responded "Jen let the anger motivate you before it destroys you." As Oprah says that was my AAAAHHHH moment if you will!
Don't get me wrong the pain and anger are both still there but now I'm trying to let it motivate me instead of control me!! That was a powerful conversation for me. One that started the change of my life.
I have since started to write my book, joined a writers group and allowed myself the right to receive support instead of being the one to give it. And I've been getting wonderful reviews so far from people on my book. A hidden talent that I never knew could or would become anything.
So people what I'm trying to say is that yes even something life changing and potentially life shattering can be what it takes to motivate us. Today I can show my daughter while teaching her that things are not always as bad as they seem at that moment. And if we take the time to put our anger aside to look for the good in a bad situation we will be able to find at least one. I have found quite a few!
Ultimately "we" and "we" alone are responsible for what happens to us in life. And "we" can choose our Healthy Freedoms in life. If "we" allow our self!! So go ahead give yourself permission to be motivated to do something good for yourself today, you'll be glad you did. I dare ya!!!!
Please don't forget as we come into the holiday season to keep all of our service men and woman in your prayers for a safe return to their families.

I'm Back & on a mission.

2008-06-03T21:03:00.001-05:00

I can not even believe it has been almost 1 yr since last being on the blog. Things kind of got to be a mess for me. But once I realized that God is trying to push me into making a Healthy decision for my life then things just seemed to start making more sense.
See what I'm trying to say is that we are all human beings & we all go thru trials & tribulations in life. And that's OK as long as you don't allow yourself to stay stuck. I believe that is Gods way of testing us to see just how bad we want things in life. My sister puts it best "just do it & stop crying about it". Her & I had this conversation about how she is so sick of people complaining about their situation but doing absolutely nothing to change or better themselves. Whether she realizes it or not that was the beginning of my new thinking. I have been accused of not doing anything myself to change my current situation, but those people need to ask "so what steps are you taking to change & how can I help".
The only way "WE" can help each other to be the best "WE" can all be is not to be critical or judgemental, rather offer help instead. All we do when judging another is give that person an excuse not to want to do better them self & help hold them down. Now don't get me wrong there are people unfortunately in life that don't want to see us succeed & we have to ask our self is that a healthy choice to give us healthy freedoms? Because in the end the only person that truly holds us down is self & the only one we have to answer to is God.
Alright people I'm back & on a mission to continue my job as one of God's little angels just trying to help make a difference while I'm on this earth.
As always please remember to keep our soldiers in your prayers for a safe return to their loved ones.
Good night & God Bless

"POWERLESS"

2007-06-11T20:49:00.000-05:00

This word is defined as "helpless, uable to act". That is a horrible feeling, especially for someone that trys to keep going & going. And there are 2 little reasons that slow you down, they are 3yrs old & 5 1/2mos old. Welcome to motherhood huh?!
I'm in search of a healthy balance for all of us & as you all know children do their own thing, they dont worry about such things as balance. They want to know things like can I eat something, can I go outside, can I can I can I... They have no sense of time, so it does not bother them that there is not enough time in the day to get something done. That would be the "unable to act" part for me. Not being able to take away their little aches & pains when they have them, that is powerless.
Another form of powerless, is when you see someone you love & care about doing things that are harmful to their life and/or lives around them. Powerless is when someone has access to things that will improve their health & they dont take advantage of it. Powerless is when you yourself reaches out through friends & family for help whether it be physical or emotional and you get no response.
It is then that we must rely on our healthy freedoms to either seek out a resolve for the matter at hand or the ability to let it go. Let's face it we are not God nor should we try to be. I view myself as one of God's little helpers just trying to make a differance while I'm on this earth.
As always please keep our men & woman of the military & their families in your prayers to keep them safe as they defend our healthy freedoms.
God night & God bless !!!

"Value yourself"

2007-06-01T21:14:00.000-05:00

I know it's been a while since the last blog, time tends to get away from you when raising kids. But it recently caught up with me, the lack of time that is! See I'm like the energizer bunny I keep going & going & going until I cant go no more. I try to put everyone around me 1st & justify it well. The truth of the matter is that all it did was make me sick/depressed.
We have to learn how to value ourselves as much as we do our loved ones or no one involved is happy. Our partner wants to scream, our children dont understand whats going on & we just want to cry because everything around us is falling apart or so we think. See I'm new at this mommy thing, I've been a step mommy at various times but this time it's my family & thank God they are not giving up on me. Thank God they love me & want to help me anyway they can. For that I'm blessed & very grateful!!
My stepson came up to me today & stopped his little bike in front of me to give the biggest hug I've had in a long time & told me he loved me. Now see him & I have been tangling these past few days because he's 3 & I'm stressed. So this meant a lot to me for him to do this. I've been told that kids still love you at the end of the day & dont really know how much it hurt you to discipline them, and I have to tell you there are days that I feel thats all I do.
It never ceases to amaze me how God sends us messages in all size packages. And as I know but lost sight of, if we dont take care of ourselves & enjoy the healthy freedoms that God gives us then we cant help make anyone else happy. And I tell people all the time that I'm just one of Gods little helpers trying to make a differance in the world and I cant do that if I'm sick & stressed.
As always please keep all the men & woman fighting the war in your prayers for safe returns to their family someday soon.
Good night & God bless !!

"Sometimes love is enough"

2007-04-10T20:36:00.000-05:00

As I sat down today responding to my emails it hit me how much I love everyone in my life. The fact that we are capable of loving that many people that strongly blows me away. Then add a child and your love seems to intensify. I don't know how such a thing is possible but it is great & I try not to question the big man upstairs & what he has done.
One of the things that I've been in the process of learning over the last few 24hrs is how to receive the same type of love that I give. For those of us that have endeared some type of abuse or neglect in life we struggle with this more so then the average person. To receive a compliment & not go into a long drawn out explanation, just knowing that "Thank You" will suffice is a challenge on the same level. No matter what type of abuse or neglect one has suffered it has been imbedded in our minds that we are not worthy or deserving of the love we give. And that is not what God intended for us.
It was asked of me "would you expect someone to do for you what you do for them?" and believe it or not I had to think about my response before responding "no". What I learned at that moment was I did not feel worthy of receiving what I was giving for what ever reason. Today I'm happy to report; I don't question but know that I deserve everything I give to another human being good and bad. It goes back to that old saying "What goes around comes around". I try to treat people with respect and to accept people for the way they are. Now I can show my children how to give & receive healthy love from another person.
It is really nice to have people in my life to help show me that sometimes love is enough and that is a healthy freedom I truly enjoy.
As always please keep our men & woman of all armed forces in your prayers for safe returns soon.
Good night & God bless!!

"No pain No gain"

2007-03-30T12:02:00.000-05:00

As I was working out it hit me that if we want, and I mean truly want to look a certain way, we will do whatever & I mean whatever it takes to accomplish that. Hopefully the whatever is in a healthy way. But then that sent me down another road, life...
If we want a better lifestyle or a job that allows us the healthy freedoms life has to offer then we must be willing to go thru the pain just as in working out to accomplish that. Nothing is ever handed to us or easy to accomplish & if I learned nothing else from my father growing up, it was that if we want something we must work hard for it. "No pain No gain". Funny how life & working out have so many similarities, isn't it?! For one it takes time & dedication, you must dedicate time to accomplishing your goals without whining about it. If it becomes whining then it becomes work & if it becomes work then it's not fun & we will surely give up on our dreams/goals.
My sister & I were just having some flashbacks of old days past. She is going thru this phase of looking up people from the past and it's funny where all of us are in life. As we were talking and comparing ourselves, situations and lifestyles it hit me that we should never compare anything other than where we personally are in life versus where we were in the past. Hopefully we are all in a better spot with the intention of always moving to be the best we can be by accomplishing the life God has in store for us. Bottom line is that there is always someone better then the next at something in life & that is what makes us all necessary for the world to be a better place.
As I close please remember to keep our men & woman of all branches of service in your prayers for their safe return. As they are doing all they can do so we may enjoy all of our healthy freedoms.
Good night & God bless !!

Honey-Dijon Chicken

2007-03-24T20:13:00.001-05:00

For those of you that like a little kick in your chicken this is the recipe for you.

2-tbsp honey
2-tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp ground blk pepper prep time: 10 mins
2 tsp chopped parsley cook time: 30 mins
4-boneless skinless chicken breast

Preheat oven at 400,line baking sheet w/foil & spray w/nonstick cooking spray.
Combine: honey, mustard, pepper & parsley in a bowl, roll or brush chicken in mixture. Place on baking sheet & bake for 15 mins, put remaining mixture on chicken & bake for another 15 mins. or until no more pink showing.

Basic nutrition facts:
200 calories, 2g fat, 270mg sodium, 10g carbs., 34g protein

The chicken has a kick & is juicy. Make w/a potato & green veggie & your good to go!! This is definately a healthy freedom that is sooooooooo good for you.

Good night & God bless

Blessed in America

2007-03-21T20:59:00.000-05:00

As I sat today feeding my daughter I thought to myself; "I wonder what my brother is doing?" Eating a hot meal, taking a hot shower or sleeping in a soft bed? Oh dah... Thats all of us here in America. While he eats meals out of a bag, sleeps sitting up & whenever he can, dodges bullets and showers via a baby wipe. All this so that we can enjoy our familys. I pray to god that he allows my brother to come home to our family safely.
We all are guilty of taking for granted all of our healthy freedoms we have here in America. I think some of us are so focused from time to time on the negatives going on in our lives that we dont stop to see our blessings. When it comes down to it, how important is it how much money we have or how big of house we own. Bottom line is that a person that has nothing can be much richer then the person that has a big bank account.
God gives us free will to enjoy all the healthy freedoms that are offered to us. It is then up to each individual to use them or abuse them. And me personally knowing that people like my brother are willing to put their life on the line for mine to be able to enjoy my family makes the decision for me that much easier!!!
I urge all of you to pray for the safe return of all the men & woman that are putting their life on the line for us. And when life seems to be getting you down, just look at what you do have & not what you dont have yet.
Good night & God bless !!

Reflections

2007-03-15T21:36:00.000-05:00

As I sit here & hold my daughter & think about my brother who is due to land in Iraq anytime now, I cant help but to think of how blessed I am. Let me explain !! There was a time I was not sure if I could have children of my own & then god blessed me with one of my own, two if you count my stepson whom I love just as much. We have a special bond as well. Although it can be very stressful at times, its so worth all the sacrifice. To see their little faces light up when you walk into the room or the joy on the other parents face as they sit and play with one another.
But you see I have more of a selfish motive with my children. There is this vision I have of making the world a better place & if I can do that by raising my children to respect & love people, then I feel as if I've done a good job. You'll often hear me say that I'm just one of god's little helpers trying to do the best I can while I'm here.
And thanks to brave people like my brother, who are willing to go into a country that hates americans so that we can enjoy healthy freedoms. Many thanks goes out to men & woman of all armed forces doing what they do so that I can enjoy my family.
And that my friend is why I feel blessed !!

Todays healthy recipe: "Chicken Yogurt roll ups"

1/2 cucumber
1/2 pepper (color or mixture desired)
3 tablespoons lite vanilla yogurt
2 boneless/skinless chicken breast cubed
shredded cheddar (optional)
fajita sz tortilla wraps

Mix cucmuber & pepper in bowl. Put chicken in wrap & spread mixture over, add cheddar if desired. Roll & ENJOY !!

I promise these are delicious..

2007-03-10T14:09:00.002-05:00

Salsa Chicken recipe

1 Cup salsa (any)
3 boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 an onion
red & green peppers (optional)
Brown rice (boil in the bag works well)
1/2 cup of shredded mexican blend cheese
Lite Sour Cream

Brown chicken, mix in onion, peppers & cook until desired tenderness. Add salsa simmer until hot, add cheese & pour over rice. Add sour cream to taste.

Enjoy & warning this is very addicting !!!!

Nutrition facts:
354 cal., 10g total fat, (4g sat. fat), 78 mg chol., 644 mg sodium,
33 g carbo., 1 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugars, 32 g protein.

When we take care of our bodies mentally, physically & spiritualy we have all of the ingredients for a healthy freedom in life.

2007-03-08T22:43:00.000-05:00

Have you ever done something & got alittle upset with yourself. Reason being that you felt you could of or should of handled a situation a particular way & did not. So one walks away feeling as if they missed out on an opportunity of some kind !! That was my ahhh haaa moment this evening. I find that I carry some old resentments with me, that then create new ones out of little nothings. Then just like that "BAM" the situation solves itself & your left feeling upset with self about nothing. We are our own worst critics when it comes down to it.

These days I try to pay attention more as to why I allow some things to set me off. Most the time its generally myself. Actually if I stood in front of a mirror and expressed whatever it is I was feeling at that moment chances are laughter would erupt. Someone gave me a sign to hang on my mirror that said "your looking at the problem" that is so true half the time.

How can we expect someone to know what we need or want from another if we are to afraid to ask? And why do we feel at times that we do not deserve just as much happiness as those we expect to get it from? A few 24 hours ago someone asked me that question and I had to think about it for a moment, my response was "well...". Well truth of the matter is that if I dont tell you what I would like or need then the only one I have the right to get upset with is myself. We are not mind readers and an expectation is an excuse for the right to have a resentment. And you know what they say about excuses !!! hahaha

My aaahhh haaaaa moment & bottom line is this, I dont want to live in fear or anger anymore. And to tell you the truth a resentment is very very very heavy to carry around. So if I feel the need to carry a resentment or to be angry about something then I'm not trusting in god/higher power to do what it is he has planned for my life!!

Good night and God bless.

Day 1

2007-03-04T20:21:00.000-05:00

Here we go, the first day of something new and scary. But that is my goal this year to step outside the box if you will. I am a new mom and often catch myself thinking of ways to teach my kids not to be afraid of stepping outside the box. To try different things to see what they like and what they are good at. I don't want them to grow up being paralyzed by fear, like I did. It took me until my early 30's to try different things and that was pretty scary not to mention very hard.

So that is why I decided to develop this blog. To help other people no matter how young or old, to no longer be afraid anymore. One of my favorite quotes is, "Don't regret what you have done rather regret what you have not done."

My mission in life is to live happy, joyous and free on a daily basis and to assist others in doing the same. When I die and go to heaven I feel that God will ask me one question that matters, "Did you enjoy everything I gave you, good and bad?", the answer should be yes.

See in life we are given tests and until we pass those tests we will be put through them again and again. And believe me I've been put through my share of the same tests!!

At any rate I figure I have nothing to loose by putting this blog out there. So lets go on a joy ride through life together!! Remember none of us are promised tommorrow, so live like today is your last.