Change.

Through change, we grow.  As we grow, we bring about more change.  It is a beautiful cycle.

I have a dream...

My dream is that I will be able to reach the other side of my journey of healing and extend my hand to other women who are struggling - helping them recover as well.  Many people who know me, have no idea that I am on this journey.

My dream may be lofty, but I know that I am capable of reaching it.  After all, I am better today than I was yesterday.  Tomorrow I will be stronger still.

The long sad days of being a victim are behind me - but that does not mean that the memories of those days are.  I continue to learn, and in my daily journal writing, I am discovering so much about myself.  I know that I am not a victim, I am a survivor. 

Yes, I am a survivor!

Every step I take, is one step closer to knowing myself and reaching my goals.  My journey does not have an end destination, rather, it has many glorious and fulfilling stops along the way.

I am thankful for a wonderful, loving husband and son. I am blessed.

Your past does not define who you are!

We must constantly be improving, not looking back. It is ok to learn from the past, but too much time dwelling on it will cause success paralysis. Keep moving toward your goal and you will reach it! Blessings!

Tammy

Joy

What ever you are doing, do it with joy. Attitude is an individual choice. People want to be around and do business with people who are happy on the inside and out.

Today I saw a young man holding a large sign advertising a special for an oil change business. He looked so miserable that, even if I wanted an oil change, I wouldn't have pulled in to that shop. Instead of attracting customers, he was deflecting them - quite possibly to a competitor two blocks away!

Try this ... If you are not having business or personal results you would like, take a look at the attitude you chose to wear. If it is not a joyful one, perhaps a quick change is in order.

Bravery

I am very brave if I know I have backup nearby.  My day job is sales, so I face rejection and negativity from time to time.  I know I have an excellent leadership and management team to back me up so I am able to continue with my work.  If I begin to feel overwhelmed with work issues, I always have someone nearby I can talk to.

Why is is to hard for me to share my faith with others?  Many times I forget that I have a spiritual backup and I fail to pursue what I know I should do.  Jesus is right here by my side all the time.  HE is my backup and I am His.

Today the sermon at church was on Acts 8:26 - 40.  In this passage, Philip listened and obeyed God's promptings.  What really struck me about this message was that Philip was listening and heard the Angel. I want, more than anything, to be still and hear the promptings. To know what work God has planned for me. When the Angel speaks, will I be brave enough to act on it as Philip did?  I pray I am. 

Please pray for me, and I welcome your comments. 

Negativity Be Gone From Me!

Lately it seems, I am frustrated at the most minute of things around me, including people, work, weather and loud noises.  I am even frustrated about my writing - or lack thereof. Today I reached a point where I needed to stop and reflect on my attitude - before my attitude permeates those around me. Even worse, what do I do if it already has? What if my poor attitude has hurt those I love?
Questions I felt I needed to ask myself:
Why do I feel overwhelmed and tired.
Why am I discouraged?
What is at the root of this negativity?
Where is God at times like this?

I spent a few hours in solitude, indulging in a pity party, including two donuts and several cups of coffee, and this is what I came up with:
I feel as if my life has somehow spun out of my control. I feel alone, even with my family around me most of the time. My energy is drained. I have gained a little weight and humorous, unintentional comments have been made about it.
These things are all coming from the enemy! The deceptive one has made his voice louder than that of my Jesus, who I love. How do I drown out the negativity so the true Light can shine through? I began to realize that a part of me is comfortable with the feelings I have been having. Feeling frustrated keeps me from having to face certain things in my life that I know I need to take care of.

At the end of my pity party - I began to pray. I gave my troubles over to God. I began to feel better right away. Yes, I admit, I tried to hold on to a few of my negative thoughts (they were like a pair of comfy fuzzy socks) but I knew I needed to hand it ALL over to truly feel blessing over my emotional well being.

I feel better now, praise God! The cloud of depression has lifted, and with it my eyes are lifted to Him. And I AM WRITING! I feel focused and prepared for the days and weeks ahead.

I am reminded of a simple verse in the New Testament where Jesus said:

Luke 11:9 NIV - "So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."  

All I had to do was ask!  Simple as that sounds, I took the long uphill path to get there. Does anyone else ever feel overwhelmed with negativity and frustration? I pray that we all find the peace we need to continue to be the women we are called to be. Join with me in asking for His gracious help.
Feel free to email or post a comment as to how you work through these feelings.

CHANGE IS GOOD?

When I think of the word "change," many cliche's come to mind

Change is good, hope and Change, keep the Change, Change your tune, a leopard cannot Change his spots, and Change of life - to name a few.

I have experienced many changes in my life. I can use the first cliche above to describe how I feel about the last one listed.  Change IS good, even if it doesn't seem that way initially.

We all experience change, both emotional and physical.

I have put on a few pounds. I will be conscientious and take good care of myself with diet and exercise, but I will not berate myself about my weight. This skin of mine is not as smooth as it once was. I will continue to stay out of the sun and use moisturizer, I will not stare at myself in the mirror and think negatively about my appearance. I often break out in a sweat from the neck up, sometimes profusely, for no obvious reason.  This is an inconvenience, but I will look at this change as a part of becoming more mature and grounded as I move into the future that has been prepared for me

The bottom line is, I am finally OK with change.  I have reached a point in my life where I am becoming comfortable being me.  I accept that God has plans for me that only He knows. These plans will continue to change and mold me as I seek out His purpose for my life. 

As I continue on this personal journey of change, one thing keeps me grounded. I can count on the fact that:

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Let's clink our teacups in a toast to Change. I pray that we will all accept change as it comes, and allow it to mold us and make us stronger - preparing us for our true purpose in life, whatever that may be. 

Am I alone in feeling this way? Comments are welcome!