12-31-2017
Today is the end of a year.
A year we won’t get back, and for some, a year we would
never want to repeat. For me I have said that 2017 was a year
of loss. As I reflect on the past 364 days I see what has
been lost, for me: a long term relationship ended, 2 uncles
very dear to me passed away in a months’ time, my Daddy
gone too soon and the loss of my house… Almost too much
to get your brain around. Trust me I have cried many a tear.
I am not saying my loss is any better or worse than yours.
Loss is lost. Gone forever. We all grieve.
But as I reflect I realize
that I gained SO MUCH MORE than what was taken from me. I
gained FREEDOM, freedom to know who I am, what I want in life
and settling is not an option. I learned that FAMILY is extremely
important…that through thick and thin – good times
and bad – when we disagree with one another and don’t
see eye to eye…WE ARE STILL FAMILY. Blood related (steps
or halves) and those bonds go deeper than any argument or
disagreement ever could. I’ve learned that my FRIENDS
are my angels from God who step in when family cannot. And
through this year my friends have stood by me through the
thick of it… Good friends will call you out on something,
tell you that you are right and even tell you that you’re
wrong and still LOVE YOU ANYWAY.
I’ve learned that a house
(even one that you have loved and lived in for over 14 years)
is just a house, four walls and a roof. That wherever I am
(with my fur babies) I can make it a ‘ Home’.
I’ve learned that time
is short and life is precious. Too short for anger or resentment…
NEVER ever harbor regret. Agree to disagree and Love anyway!
Never burn a bridge, always, ALWAYS be kind, try to always
leave people better than you found them. Tell people you love
them, hug often, forgive even when it hurts…forgive.
Forgiveness brings peace to your soul. (Forgive-Release-Let
Go).
Most of all… Learn from
what 2017 brought you through. Leave the baggage of sadness,
anger and grief behind and walk into the New Year with a fresh
slate! A new clean page! A brand new chapter that only YOU
can write. Life is short and precious so Live without regret.
Love unconditionally. And cherish every moment.
Auld lang syne : Old times,
especially times fondly remembered
#NewYearNewChapter #LovewithoutLimits
#hopedefinedme #NeverGiveUP #CherishEveryMoment
05- 27- 2016
Do you fit?
As most ladies, I enjoy shoe
shopping… but with very small feet (size 5) finding all
the cute styles in my size can be challenging. One day I was
shopping when I saw the most adorable pair of shoes, shiny
red, strappy with a heel a bit higher than I normally wear
and not only were they on the sale rack, they were my size!
Oh I tried them on, I pranced around the shoe store admiring
them on my feet… hearing the compliments from other women…
“Oh those are cute!” said one woman, another said
“They are super cute!” I was feeling pretty good
about myself with all the compliments from the female cheering
section!
I went back and forth in my
mind over these shoes….
What would I wear them with?
They were RED. Certainly I could find an outfit to wear them
with or maybe go buy a new one?
The heels are rather high….well
I would like to look a bit taller (with my short / petite
self being only 5’0”).
How can you walk in such high
heels? “With practice” I told myself… I mean
how hard can it be, right? I’ve been walking since age
two… I should have the art of walking perfected now in
my mid-50’s right?
Oh the endless tug –o-war
of thoughts plagued me…but I talked myself into them
because, well, they were on sale, right? And how often does
a cute – red – strappy shoe come along in a size
5?
I brought them home –
so excited to put them on and walk (strut) around my house.
I grabbed a quick black skirt out of my closet which is already
teeming with clothes, dresses, skirts, shirts all in three
different sizes (sm-med-large… aka my real size, my fat
size and my dream size). I began parading across the wood
floors checking out how the shoes looked on me in the closet
mirror. I asked my cats what they thought and they were disinterested.
So there I stood, my hair thrown up in a bun, old T-shirt
on, black skirt and with my new, fancy red strappy high heeled
shoes looking at myself in the mirror… when I got a wild
idea… I wonder if I can dance in these shoes...? So I
break into my best ‘ballet-flash dance-twirl-oh, what,
a feeling, 80’s’ move when one foot went one way,
the ankle of the other foot twisted and flipped the other
way, my body fell backwards and 2 out of 3 cats fled in terror!
As I laid there on the floor
wondering if I had broken anything and remembering the receipt
said “all sales are final” I realized that even
though the shoes fit on my feet, they didn’t belong on
my feet.
Have you ever been in a situation
where you felt like you fit in, but you just didn’t belong?
God’s word says in Psalms
37:23 The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights
in him.
God doesn’t want you to
feel like you just fit in… He wants you to belong. You
are His.
Make good choices! #HopeDefinedMe
06-17-16
Good Bye 53 - You tried
very hard to kick my butt this past year...with health issues
and financial loss...it will be nice to see you go...I am
so thankful for Jesus who is faithful <3 and for the new
friends in my life and for the old ones who have remained
by my side - loving me where I'm at .. People have come and
gone from my life this past year. Some I will dearly miss
- but I know I will see them again in heaven, others left
by their own word or deed...I will miss them - but love does
not demand it's own way (1Cor13:5)
***********
HELLO 54! - I am looking
forward to all you have for me this year! I will live this
year better - with wiser choices - and more time spent with
dear friends and family. You can not go backwards and change
anything, but you CAN go forward and do things differently...
Life marches on at a record pace and you can find yourself
chasing material things...but the most precious commodity
you have is 'time' use it wisely <3 I plan to!
06-15-16
What
are you chasing? Lofty goals? The glass ceiling? More money?
There is only so much time....do not waste it on things that
wont matter. Time is a precious commodity.
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward
for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had
done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless,
chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
11-16-15
The other morning I was headed
to an appointment and I passed through several school zones.
As I crept along at my 15mph I watched the cute kids walking
with their Moms or riding their bikes. And I became painfully
aware of how many Mom's were talking on their cell phones
as they walked their child to school.... The child saying
nothing - walking beside their Mom. Seriously? For the twenty
minutes that it takes you to walk your child to school - you
couldn't find something better to do with your time? Like
maybe talk to your child?
Encourage them, make them laugh,
share a story and bond so that when you leave your child at
school they have a wonderful memory of you to carry in their
hearts throughout the day. Time is precious! Life is Short!
Before you know it your children will grow up - they will
not want you walking them to school - much less want you spending
time with them. Talk on your cell phones all you want to on
the walk / ride back to your house. But make a good choice
and enjoy time with your child. Encourage them - use that
15-20 minutes and make a memory full of smiles.
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my
heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward
for all my toil.
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I
had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:10-11
10-23-15
A year ago - my life changed
- It was the day I received the cancer diagnosis. At that
moment my life was not my own - going from one doctor appointment
to another- one procedure to another. I had to trust what
was being told to me (medically) Spiritually - I found my
peace and my rest in Jesus. My life became out of control
- but placed in the hands of the ONE who is in control. Going
through this Journey was difficult (nothing worth while is
easy) but it showed me the love of others - it created in
me more compassion for others and it gave me a deeper walk
with my Savior. No matter how difficult the surgery, treatment,
recovery, was - I wasn't alone. So many friends and breast
cancer sisters walked thru this Journey with me. Today I look
back and I am thankful for the diagnosis....Thankful you may
ask? Yes - Thankful - because nothing can touch my life that
doesn't go thru God's hands first. My Journey glorifies God.
I can help, encourage, and walk through this same Journey
with another person who gets that scarey diagnosis. I am thankful
that I have walked through this Journey and am now on the
other side.God is so good and so faithful <3
8-12-2015
Simpler times... The days
are long, but the years are short.
What I wouldn't give to go back (knowing what I know now)
and spending more time, being more present, saying no to work,
and yes to play time...
Love my son, he is my <3
2-13-2015
Good Morning! My prayer this
morning is for any woman Today, going into surgery Today -
going under the knife Today for breast cancer..not just in
NPR or Fla or the USA BUT in the WORLD TODAY - reaching further
than this facebook post... That TODAY they experience a mighty
miracle from God! That the cancer they were diagnosed with
will be GONE in the Mighty name of Jesus! That is my prayer
and I am believing it for my fellow Sisters!! PLEASE believe
with me! Come into agreement with me TODAY Share my post -
give encouragement TODAY! God is still in the Miracle business
TODAY! #Hope #HopeDefinedMe #Faith #Believe
12-24-2014
Awesome news yesterday at
the Oncologist! NO CHEMO!! Praise God. The Dr. does want me
to take the Tamoxifen pill once a day for up to 10 years....
reason being is the cancer I had, can reoccur and by taking
the pill it brings the re-occurrence rate of that cancer showing
back up closer to 0% I am going to do my own research on it
and talk to my Aunt Tina who works in breast cancer research
to get better educated and l understand the treatment and
side effects. But this is great news!.... and a real testimony
to early detection. Everything I went thru was not fun, and
for those who have more advanced stages of cancer it is much
worse the treatment they must endure. I have great friends
and family and an amazing God who gave me peace throughout
this journey... i am not sure how anyone can go thru this
without Him, but I do know this, Life and circumstances without
God are much harder.
My radiation side affects are
wearing off, the soreness and pain lessens with each day and
my range of motion with my right arm gets better too (that's
my predominant arm). I am thankful and blessed beyond measure
for the out pouring of love and compassion. Everything you
all poured out on me, I want to pour out on others. ..."love
one another as I have loved you...." Thank you my angels
here on earth! Merry Christmas!!
